A Voice Inside Your Head
by EndlessGalaxy
Summary: Lieutenant Stella Anderson has searched for her voice unsuccessfully, giving up her dream to talk but not her aspiration to work aboard Star Fleet's newest star ship as a xeno-botanist. Follow her throughout her adventures, from fighting Klingons to telepathic humanoids and to falling in love with a certain Vulcan Commander. Rated M for mature content and language.
1. Chapter 1

I guess this was the story of how I found my voice. Literally, and figuratively. Of how I could finally hear my own voice again, and not use sign language to simply ask for a glass of water. To say I love you to a certain man that changed my life forever.

Whether or not I had told anyone, about how I lost it or why I did it, it wouldn't have changed anything. I would always be the mute girl, the useless lieutenant that was only on the Enterprise to study in a small lab. I was cooped up in there constantly. It was my second home, only not as welcoming. My days were mundane pleasures, but it was enough for me. I was fine with a boring life. The monotonous hum of my days was like a soothing lull sometimes, but could also turn into a constricting sound without a volume.

I would spend about 13 hours in the lab, studying the cells of foreign plants or animal blood. I would then go back to my quarters, eat alone or with a friend, and sleep. I woke up and the cycle began again, never changed or interrupted. Occasionally I would go to the rec room with Uhura or the captain, two people I had become extremely close with over the past two years.

It was quite useless, I thought, but it was the best I could do. It was my dream to serve aboard the Enterprise all through my years at the academy, and I was living it. But it felt more of a nightmare as of late. Since the Khan incident, I spent an increasing amount of hours in the lab, studying his blood on a variety of plants and animal cells. It was incredible, to inquest it.

His blood was fascinating and constantly kept me busy with new research, a challenge that I greeted with open arms.

Nyota, a friend I appreciated greatly at the end of every day, would come and drag me out of that damn lab to eat in the mess hall or go to the rec room. I wasn't a hermit, I went out to the rec room to listen to a crew member play the piano or play checkers with Mr. Scott. Or I would go to Gaila's room for her monthly sleepovers, an event she had come up with out of the blue. She claimed it would keep us close, even when we didn't see each other at all during the day. Nyota and I did have fun at them, even though all Gaila would prefer to talk about were the attractive men on board.

But I constantly felt a twinge of guilt, for always being such a nudnick that would require them to speak for me or explain that I was unable to speak . I could only sign or mouth words, so Nyota was often translating for me. I felt like a burden to her, and everyone else who was around me. But I guess without the help of all those friends, I wouldn't have ever found my voice again.

It had been a particularly long day at the lab. I had skipped lunch, dropped a petri dish on the floor, and was working on 5 hours of sleep. I sighed deeply and tightened my grip on the delicate syringe so as it might have broken if Uhura had not knocked on the lab door. I lifted my head and placed the needle down, smiling at her. I wished I could have displayed my gratitude in a more, I don't know, transparent way, so she always knew how happy I was to have a friend like her. Of course, there was the nurse Christine, which had been the only one in med bay to understand my signing the day of my checkup. I was afraid Doctor McCoy would yell at me for not speaking, but luckily she had come to my rescue. She had then proceeded to scold him for not waiting for my explanation.

With Gaila, Uhura's close friend from the academy, she had saved me from a similar issue.

"Kirk, layoff will you?" She had hissed at him the day he tried to make a move on me. Having been unable to tell him to stop, he took it as an okay to be a little handsy. I fought the urge to smack him when he grabbed my waist and pulled me close when I was in the mess hall. He was obviously joking, a lighthearted smile pulled across his face as he took another sip of his drink.

"Oh come on Gaila, we were just having a little fun! Weren't we, Stella?" He said flirtatiously. I was speechless, as in, even if I could talk I wouldn't know what to say. Gaila scowled.

"She doesn't talk Kirk, so again, layoff!"

He looked confused for a minute, before looking at me square in the eye. I knew that look. The look of pity, changing to embarrassment and then to curiosity. How did it happen?

I had never told anyone. I couldn't. For the rest of the night I regretted my decision to tag along with Gaila to the ships bar night. But after the incident, Kirk and I had become close acquaintances, eating in the mess together on some occasions or inviting me to his annual holiday parties personally (although I would politely decline.) He wasn't as much as an ass as I had initially believed.

"It's almost midnight." Uhura began, searching my face.

"You should get to bed. Did you eat dinner?" She asked, concern on her face. Sometimes she reminded me of my mother, which irritated me, but I knew she was just trying to help. She was a xenolinguistics genius. She could speak hundreds of languages except one. The one language where you cannot speak at all.

I shook my head slowly, and she sighed.

"Let's go get something to eat." She offered, and I finally stood up from my lab chair. Refusing the offer would only lead to a small discussion of my personal care issues of eating and sleeping enough. I would of course lose that fight and we would still be walking down the glassy hall of the enterprise to the mess.

Uhura was gorgeous. She was tall, thin, had dark caramel skin and silky smooth hair. She was the encapsulation of pretty, the archetype of a model. I often found myself feeling jealous.

But I was able to suppress those feelings quickly. She was beautiful, but did not have to be despised because of it. Along with a pretty face came her pretty personality. She was strong, kind, and an intelligent woman. She never shied away from danger, and was always up the challenge presented to her. She was several things that I was not.

When we got there, I was surprised to see the captain, sitting leisurely with his legs propped up against the table, sipping from a black mug. Judging from the smell, it was coffee. He was moving his hands as he talked, and was clearly passionate about what he was saying. The captain was like that, always completely engrossed in the words that crossed his lips or trusting in his ideas in a hectic situation. While he usually wore his goofy, flirtatious demeanor of a laid back man, behind it was a qualified, august star fleet captain that could handle any curve balls pitched his way.

Next to him was the first commander, Spock, listening to the captain speak. I had only had one conversation with him, which was obviously one-sided. I don't think he had even noticed my muteness, which I was grateful for. He had simply explained to me how to inject a sample of blood into an Andorian cactus, a prickly plant that made it hard to find its veins. I had nodded once before he went back to his own work, and then left to the bridge when the captain called for him. As a Vulcan, he made especially hard to read and understand. Half the time in the lab I didn't know if he was angry or happy or simply indifferent.

When he and Nyota had separated, he came to lab unchanged and unaffected by the breakup. He did not speak of it, not that anyone had asked about it, and he most certainly didn't show any emotion regarding it.

My friend however, was a little bit less fond of the split. She didn't cry, no, Nyota did not cry. She simply didn't say his name, for a while actually. She refused to talk about it. I was worried for a while, but after a few weeks she was fully recovered, flirting in no time with a few other cadets or lieutenants. Her strong demeanor was a polar opposite of mine, for she was a very capable woman.

The captain smiled as he met Uhura's gaze, and she looked at me, as if looking for approval. I frowned at her, and she sighed.

"I know, I know. I'll stop doing that." She said, and I smiled at her before we made our way to their table.

"Hello ladies, pretty late isn't it?" He sang in a tired voice. Uhura nodded and we sat down. The captain was drumming one hand against the table idly, his other holding the steaming mug in his hand.

"Yes, well, I had to drag Stella out of the lab so she could eat. She's too devoted to her work."

Uhura smiled at me, and I smiled back. Her humor was more satirical, but the humor beneath the surface was often pellucid

"Yes, Stella's a good little lieutenant, always getting her work done on time." Jim joked tiredly but gave me a dopey smile.

I looked at Commander Spock, who met my eyes before I averted my gaze. He was the only one here that didn't know, and there was a damn high chance he would find out soon. His stare made me shift uncomfortably in my seat. I knew Vulcans and there adversity to showing emotions the way humans did, but it often made me wonder where all the emotions fled to when the controller was busy working or facing a difficult situation.

"You want to go get something to eat?" Uhura asked me, and I nodded slowly before getting up.

I could feel Kirk's eyes on my back and I bit my lip.

I was glad I wasn't facing them because I could feel my face burn. Kirk knew everything about my silence; he was the captain, of course he had to know. But it was still mortifying to have to do things differently than others, to be treated differently than others. Sometimes I wanted to yell at people, tell them it wasn't my choice. They had no idea what I had gone through, and what I had gone through in order to talk again. They didn't understand. But of course, I often didn't want to admit I had the issue at all. I liked to think I was like everyone else, even when the blatant truth was staring me in the face.

Replicators made food from voice command. I seldom used them because of that. But what many people aboard the ship didn't know that there was an access code to a computer pad, made for people like me. People who didn't have a voice. Which now on the Enterprise, was just me, unless you counted Ensign Chekov, who had to use it because of his thick Russian accent. I had found out the day I was in the mess with Sulu, and the curly haired boy, no older than seventeen, had scolded the machine in Russian that he didn't have an accent, the machine did. It had been a comical exchange, even though out situations were completely different.

I entered the code slowly, jogging my memory to remember the code.

_184-480-78_

The computer beeped and letters slid across the screen.

_Access granted, Lieutenant Anderson_.

I made a few deft movements and my fingers danced across the key board. Moments later, a cup of black coffee and an apple appeared.

I grabbed it and slowly made my way back. Uhura and Kirk had been engrossed in a stimulating discussion regarding the Klingons way of replication food. Did they even do that? I had no idea.

The commander however, hadn't taken his eyes off me. Ignoring it, I placed my cup and apple down before Uhura made a face.

"I can't see how you could possibly drink plain black coffee. Sure you don't want any sugar, or milk?"

I shook my head, and she grimaced before looking at the two men.

"She drinks her coffee black. Her taste buds are crazy!" She attempted to make a joke, and Kirk laughed and I smiled. Yes, I did take my coffee black and yes, it was bitter. But I liked it that way. I took a sip and felt to burn down my throat and warm my mouth.

Spock was silent as well, but watched our exchange with calm eyes.

"So Spock, find anything interesting in the plant you were studying?" Uhura inquired, looking at the Vulcan.

He nodded his head once, curtly.

"Yes, lieutenant, it seems to have reacted quite interestingly to Khan's regenerative cells. I do not spend enough time in the lab to study it in depth, however there are several other scientists observing It.", he explained. Uhura shot a quick glance at me, knowing I was one of those scientists.

I was thrilled when I had been chosen to work aboard the Enterprise, my field of expertise being in xeno-botany. Since my first day aboard, my knowledge of extraterrestrial plant life had been expanded further than one could ever imagine. I had the opportunity to learn about and explore a completely different realm of botany.

Spock watched me as I took a sip of my coffee. It burned down my throat again as he continued to explain. I pierced the skin of my apple with my finger nail, a bead of juice seeping from the bruised skin.

"I am aware, Lieutenant Anderson, that you are among the staff studying the plant. Your research is quite impressive regarding the change in the plants photosynthesis due to the blood." He said monotonously. I smiled slightly before taking another sip. He looked at me again. His eyes flickered with- confusion? He didn't say anything though, and I disregarded the thought. I was tired, so mistaking emotion in my Vulcan commander's eyes was probably a side affect of my sleep deprived mind.

Kirk glanced at his watch, yawning.

"Well, lieutenants, I don't know about you but I'm exhausted. I'm going to call it a night."

Uhura and I nodded in agreement. I downed my coffee quickly before we stood up, and I threw my cup down the trash shoot.

"You didn't eat." Uhura nodded towards my apple. I shrugged and shook my head. I wasn't hungry. The clock read almost 12:45, and I could feel my head getting cloudy with drowsiness.

Kirk and Spock stood up and followed us to the door.

"It was nice talking to you, Anderson, Uhura." He said, before flashing her a smile that could be called flirtatious but later defended as friendly. She rolled her eyes but smiled anyway before he took off to his quarters.

"Get some rest, okay?" She said, almost motherly again, before handing me my apple and heading off to her quarters. That left me alone with the commander.

"Assuming your quarters are in the same direction as my own, it is only logical for me to escort you to your room." He stated simply. I nodded hesitantly. There was a slim chance he had over looked my lack of talking. He was intelligent, that much I knew. The way he had acted during the Khan incident. Calm and collected and calculating while the entire ship was in chaos. During the disarrangement, I had found myself in the lab, searching through files and files to find anything that could react to the sample of blood taken by Doctor McCoy. Anything similar to his blood that could reverse the affects of Kirk's cells which had suffered devastating affects from the radiation. I had not been able to find one however, but the commander had managed to save the captain after beaming down the Earth and capturing Khan.

"Lieutenant, may I ask a personal query?" He broke the silence. I nodded again.

"After witnessing your exchanges in the mess hall and entering an authorization code on the replicator, it is only logical to assume you are unable to speak."

I hesitated for a split second before reaching up to rub my temples. He looked at me, one eye brow raised ever so slightly before I nodded. He looked away from me.

"Apologies. I was not aware during our previous meetings, I hope I have not offended you.", he apologized before he stopped walking. He was practically a foot taller than me, I noticed. His towering figure made him seem more intimidating than usual.

I had always been a little bit shorter than most people my age, but I liked to think I was average height. But who was I kidding? I was barely 5'2", and people usually were taller than I anyway, whether or not I was short or average.

I was still surprised by his apology, seeing as he had nothing to be sorry for. But I nodded and smiled slightly, a motion I made constantly to display a range of emotions or phrases, from "apology accepted" to "you are a complete idiot". I made one similar to the former.

He stopped at my door.

"Seeing as our conversations are one sided, perhaps we should attempt a different form of discussion while in the lab. Perhaps writing on paper?" He suggested. I nodded.

My hand writing was atrocious before the accident. But when I need a way to communicate with others before I could sign, I wrote on paper. It was a nuisance for me, and I'm pretty sure others felt the same. It was a waste of paper and often inconvenient. It frustrated me so much that I had once snapped a pen in two. I had apologized to the owner of the pen, my doctor, but it was beside the point. I was sometimes difficult for others to handle.

Once I had parted with Commander Spock, I went straight to bed, seeing as it was almost one in the morning. I tiredly yanked off my uniform and threw it carelessly on the floor before yanking my hair from its bun. The bed was a welcoming haven for my weary limbs.

I lay in the empty dark silence, sighing deeply far too many times before finally falling asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

So this is the second chapter to my first story I have written. I really hope you like it so far, and I will try to update often so I don't leave you hanging for too long. Thanks so much for checking out my story and please review and give suggestions so I can make it better! I DO NOT OWN STAR TREK, AND I DO NOT INTEND TO COPY RIGHT ANY OF THE CHARACTERS OR DIALOGUE. I only own my OC, Stella.

* * *

I was fine with being alone most of the time. Of course, I enjoyed the time I spent with companions, but the silent solitude that overtook me when I was in the lab or in my bed at night was calming. It let me think, contemplate, and gave me time to relax.

Work in the lab for the morning was normal, as always. I got there at seven a.m. sharp, munching on an apple during the stroll there.

I would work until one, until it was time for lunch. I would eat in my quarters alone or join Uhura, the captain, or Sulu for lunch.

I had met Sulu in the botany lab in my first month on the enterprise. After clumsily bumping into him and nearly knocking over a pot of soil, he had introduced himself and invited me to eat dinner with him and a few other crew members in the mess. From there on, a friend ship between me, Sulu, and Scotty, an engineering genius, had blossomed.

After eating, I would then return to work until I was too tired to keep my head up off the desk.

Everything was a smooth road, and I didn't like when there were bumps in it. Bumps and cracks that required me to be with other people who didn't know of my issue. It's not that I don't like people, don't get me wrong. I have wonderful friends that understand me enough to be around me and have fun. But to be around those that don't know, it's like being blind and people are telling you look how pretty the flowers are. To be deaf and someone telling you to play music.

I was just about to go on my lunch break when Commander Spock walked in. His dark hair was arranged perfectly as per usual, and his brown eyes were staring at me.

"Good afternoon lieutenant Anderson. You were just about to take your leave for lunch, correct?" He asked, his hands clasped behind his back. I nodded.

Downside number 145542 to not having a voice- you were like a human bobble head.

"Would you mind if I accompanied you? I would like to discuss some important matters regarding your study on the cells of the Andorian cactus. Your studies are impressive."

Whoa. Two compliments in less than 24 hours? It seemed almost out of character for Mister Spock. And important matters? Was he going to take me off the staff because I was mute?

I simply nodded and flicked off the microscope I was using. If he was going to do such a thing, I would do it without a fuss. After all, I was silent. I couldn't explain my studies and I couldn't answer questions about it. I was only good for research, which could only take a star fleet officer so far in there career as a science officer.

We were both quiet as we made our way to the mess.

I didn't go to the replicator, but I wasn't hungry anyway. I let out a breath of relief as we sat down, and he didn't question my lack of a meal. We sat for a few moments before he pulled out a pad of paper and two pens. I looked at it, and he began to write. After a few moments, he slid the pad towards me. I read it quickly.

_As I stated before. Your research is impressive. You are an intelligent scientist._

I paused and looked up at him, his face unchanging. I then looked at the paper again.

_If your schedule would permit, I believe it would be logical for me to mentor you._

I froze. My curiosity then changed to irritation when figured out what was probably his true motive. Once people got over the fact I couldn't speak, it transformed into pity which was beyond annoying. I was mute, not disabled or unintelligent or any less of a person. I frowned at him slightly before writing on the pad

_Commander, with all due respect, if you are offering this because of my missing ability, please refrain from any special treatment. I am mute, I do not think I can be of much help to you. Also, you can talk to me, you do not have to write to me._

I slid the paper back to him,

And he read it quickly. He quirked an eye brow at me before speaking.

"I assure you, lieutenant, that I have considered this notion and believe you could greatly contribute to my studies. This is not special treatment or anything of the sort. I chose to communicate with you through writing because I thought you would be more comfortable with it.", He explained, and I considered his proclamation.

It was a wonderful opportunity no doubt. He was incredibly intelligent and would most definitely teach me things. While I had excelled in my studies at the academy, an science officer that has performed in the field for years could no doubt pass on the experience I have yet to encounter. But I was mute. I could only help him so much in the research he planned on doing. I looked up at him before taking the pad.

_Please speak. I enjoy hearing the sounds, even if I cannot make them._

I slid it back to him, and he read it. He nodded.

"I understand." He didn't say anything more before I took the pad back and scribbled quickly.

_It would be a privilege to work with you._

His lips quirked upward ever so slightly as he read it, and he nodded. I knew I could only do so much to help him with the delving but that doesn't mean no beneficial outcome couldn't arise. The positive side of me was poking out, and I ignored the small throe of regret in my gut. I hoped I had made the correct decision.

"If your schedule allows, we will meet in the lab on floor 3. I do not have time during the day due to my shifts on the bridge, however the evening is a suitable time." He said. I nodded as his communicator sounded.

"Spock, please report to the bridge." I heard Kirk's voice sound from the device.

"I will be there shortly captain."

He flipped his communicator shut before standing up.

"We may rendezvous tomorrow night in the lab. Apologies for leaving on such notice but I must return to the bridge."

I nodded and gave a slight wave, and he took his leave. I was left alone, pondering if I had made a mistake to accept his offer. I hoped I could help him as much as I knew he could help me. So many wonderful opportunities- but what if I wasn't smart enough? Good enough?

I shoved my doubts away and headed back to the lab quickly, hoping to drown my thoughts with the research of an alien plant.

* * *

I wasn't born mute. I hadn't chosen to be silent. Well, at first I did. But I didn't know why.

The day my sister ended her life, my world broke; it didn't shatter, it just broke. A giant crack on a perfect pane of glass. A puzzle with a missing piece.

I couldn't talk after that, post-traumatic stress I suppose. I wanted to talk sometimes, but every time I tried, I couldn't. It was like there was a noose tied around my neck, not hers. Like I was the one that died, not her.

My mother sent me to doctor after doctor after doctor before I finally got her to stop by signing up for star fleet. I was angry at my sister, I was angry at myself, and I was angry at the world. For taking my baby sister away from me, for her pulling a permanent disappearing act. When I applied to Star Fleet, I was afraid they would reject me because of my disability (if you could call it that) but I was accepted. Apparently I could "have a brighter future that Star Fleet would be glad to offer".

I had a few friends, but I wasn't a social butterfly during my years at the University. I was under the radar and I was glad for that. I would have graduated a year earlier if not for my muteness. I would have been at the top of my classes if I could talk. Many of my professors looked at me with pity. As if I could have been or done so much more if not for my silence. But despite the doubts and challenges I faced, despite the pain that had inhibited me, I had done it. I was performing aboard the Enterprise, I had made friends, I had faced several challenges and over come them, despite the nagging feeling of regret and and loss.

And I have sailed along perfectly since then.

* * *

I really hope you are enjoying the story so far! Please review and rate, and I am welcome to any suggestions or comments you have! I know this chapter was short but I promise I will try to make them longer in the future. I don't want to focus a lot on the suicide surrounding Stella's background, and I promise it won't be a big issue throughout the story. And Stella will be getting her voice back, so she won't be silent the entire story. She and Spock will have a romantic dialogue, but I don't want it to be immediate like several other fictions I have read. It will be gradual and hopefully loyal to the way Spock is portrayed in the franchise.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks so much for sticking with my story! I DON'T OWN STAR TREK OR THE CHARACTERS. I DO NOT INTEND ANY COPYRIGHT OF CHARACTERS OR DIALOGUE. I only own my OC Stella.

* * *

Please pass me the hooked scalpel." Commander Spock requested, and I handed it to him. He cut into the plant slowly, a transparent orange liquid oozing out.

We had been working in the lab for a few hours, making much progress regarding the cactus. We had been working in relative silence, the commander only speaking when he needed something.

It felt peaceful, as if his presence calmed me down. While working in solace, I didn't feel much. Indifferent, almost. Now, after our several research sessions together, I felt as if I actually enjoyed work with another being. As if whether or not I had a voice didn't make a difference while I worked.

"Please hand me the serrated surgeon knife." He requested again, and I placed it in his waiting hand. I was careful not to brush against his skin. I had learned how sensitive Vulcans were when my hand had inadvertently brushed against his, and his had tensed.

I had taken a step away from him, holding my hands up as a signing apology. He seemed confused for a split second before using context to figure out what I had meant. He registered my apology and stared at me with his cutting eyes.

"It is quite alright Lieutenant.", he had assured me, and we quickly resumed work.

After another hour in silence besides the clanging of small metal instruments and the clicking of a microscope lens, he called it a day.

"I believe our session has been very productive lieutenant. We are making much progress." He said with a level voice before standing up and beginning to pack up supplies.

I quickly scribbled on a nearby pad before sliding it to him.

_Please call me Stella_

He picked it up and read it before elegantly scripting on it and sliding it back. His hand writing was as poised and careful as he was.

_Very well. You may call me Spock when we communicate if you wish, it is only fair to reciprocate the gesture._

I smiled and stood up, pulling off my white rubber gloves and removed my lab coat. I was just about to open the door when I felt my surroundings become fuzzy, out of focus. I turned to look at Spock, whose eyes were flickering to me with masked concern and leaking confusion.

I tried to grab something when I fell to the floor, having lost my balance. Spock immediately knelt down grabbed me as he searched my face. Everything in my vision was blurring together as if I were drunk.

"Stella, what is it? Do you need assistance?" He asked urgently, but I couldn't move. I didn't have a voice to answer. The last thing I remembered was his arms tightening around me as I lost consciousness, the fear I felt melting around me like the blackness.

* * *

When I woke up, I felt fuzzy all over. Like I was made up of fluffy clouds and I could float. I began to wonder how many drugs I had been put on.

Tubes were inserted in my arms and I vaguely felt one in my stomach. I was tired, and I wondered how long I was out. Feelings of nausea cradled itself in my stomach and my jaw tensed as I tried to bar the feeling away.

"You're awake, finally."

I heard Doctor McCoy's voice fill my ears and I looked across the room at him. He headed towards me with a clip board and pen in hand. His eyes looked tired and worn, as if he had been up for a while. He wasted no time assessing my health, marking down things from the monitor near my He began a string of questions as he scanned his chart.

"Head ache?"

I shook my head.

"Tired?"

I nodded

"Can you see in both eyes?"

I nodded.

"Any buzzing feeling?"

I nodded again.

He scribbled quickly on his notepad before looking at me.

"Well the good news is, nothing is permanent. You were exposed to an Andorian virus, from that damn cactus. The affects could have been much more severe." he paused, preoccupied by my tubes before continuing, "But luckily Commander Spock was able to concoct an antidote." He explained in his thick southern accent. I nodded comprehensively.

"You were very lucky. But you do need to rest for a few days, so your body can recover from the blood transfusions." I nodded, and my mind began to estimate how much work I would miss out on, and the lot of research I would be behind in. I was about to start pouting at the bed rest when I heard a communicator beep.

"Doctor McCoy, Commander Spock has requested a visit for Lieutenant Anderson." I heard another nurse call through his communicator. Doctor McCoy looked at me, as if for permission, and I nodded. I needed to thank him for saving me.

"Alright, send him in."

A few moments later Spock was at the door, looking me over with quick analytical eyes.

"Are you alright Stella?" He asked, and I thought I heard...concern, in his voice. Concern? Maybe. I eyed him, hoping my dubious thoughts were hidden behind my face. I did not want to insult the man who had just saved me.

I smiled my answer as he took out a pad of paper and handed it to me. How had he known? He sat down in the chair next to my bed.

"Well, I'm just going to run some scans on your blood. I trust you can watch her?" Doctor McCoy looked over at Spock, who nodded shortly.

"Yes, Doctor, she is in capable hands."

I had handed Spock the pad of paper.

_Thank you, Commander. You saved me. I'm sorry I cause such a scene._

His eyebrows slightly furrowed as he read it, and his mouth quirked down.

That was when I first realized how handsome Commander Spock was. His chocolate eyes locked away his emotions. His lips were a perfect bow, parted as he read the note.

I quickly averted my eyes and blushed. It was inappropriate for me to think of a senior officer this way. I had forbidden myself from getting romantically involved with any crew members shortly after I was assigned to The Enterprise, for several reasons. The first one being that working on a star ship was dangerous, and any crew member or officer could be killed in action at any moment. The second rational being that I did not want to risk my position or anyone else's position is I were to be romantically involved with a higher officer. It could impede my ability to work and no doubt make it difficult for the second party involved. It was too much trouble and too much risk put at stake for me to make a silly decision to ache for a higher ranking officer.

He looked me in the eye when he finished reading.

"We agreed to call each other by our primary names. And you were in no way a nuisance. I am glad I was able to find an antidote before you suffered any permanent damage."

I smiled before writing on the paper again.

_Doctor McCoy says I will be bedridden for a bit_.

He nodded.

"We can continue our research when you recover. But for now I strongly recommend you take enough time to recuperate."

Spock left soon after, needing to return to the bridge. I sighed deeply. It was going to be a long couple days stuck in the med bay, and I had a feeling I would also be stuck with my frivolous thoughts from a childish mind.

* * *

Two days stuck in the med bay later, with visits from Uhura, Gaila, and occasionally Kirk or Spock, I got a visit from Sulu.

I smiled at him when we crossed paths, or sat with him during lunch in the mess if I decided to show up and eat around others. A friendship had form between us, threads of our relationship consisting of our interest in botany, literature, and old fashioned board games that could be found in the rec room if you looked hard enough. I had yet to beat him at the original version of Monopoly, a game that would take us several weeks to conclude although the outcome for all the games had been the same. His victory was sweet considering all the times I had almost won but was squashed by his hidden intelligence and skill of property ownership and strategy.

He stepped into my temporary living quarters in the med bay late afternoon one day, his hands behind his back before he revealed the hidden object. He had brought a flower, a tiny blue orchid that smelt sweet.

"Morning, Stella. Since you were cooped up in here for a while I decided to bring you a terran flower.", Sulu explained, and I smiled widely.

I examined the flower, its blue petals a deep shade of cerulean with sprinkles of white throughout the blossom.

I signed a thank you, and he shook his head.

"It was no problem. I just wanted to make your day brighter." He had been learning sign language, and in the past months proved to be a quick learner. He was near fluent with the basic and intermediate hand signs. I was glad he had learned, for my own signing was becoming rusty. He kept my hands fluent during our colloquy.

I continued to sign.

_I am bedridden for a few more days. However, I enjoy your visits very much._

He smiled, his brown eyes crinkling as his lips curved up. He ran a hand through his dark hair before signing again.

_The feeling is mutual. However, I have to get to my post soon. May I visit later?_

I nodded quickly and smiled. Any visits were much appreciated, even if they were brief and fleeting. I had not been able to do much, for my systems were still recovering from the virus that hit my body. At least, that's what Doctor McCoy had told me when I tried to bargain with him to let me out earlier than planned. Arguing with that guys was fruitless and sometimes aggravating. I had also taken note that his accent grew more apparent when he was irritated.

_Thank you for the plant again._

I was so engrossed in my signing that I didn't realize Spock had walked in. Completely silent, if I may add.

"Hello commander, I was just leaving for my post."

Spock nodded curtly but said nothing as Sulu passed him. Something flashed across his Vulcan features, but I couldn't catch it. He took a seat next to my bio bed.

"Good afternoon Stella. Are you feeling better?" He asked, and I smiled.

"It seems you are quite good in sign language. Communication in such a way could make it easier in the lab for us to work together." He offered, and I cocked my head. Why would he promote that option now, after we have worked together for weeks? My eye brows furrowed before I grabbed a nearby note pad and pencil.

_Why have you made this notion now? Do you know how to sign?_

He nodded before explaining.

"I am familiar with the language as of late; Lieutenant Uhura enlightened me with the form of communication. I apologize for not making the notion earlier, as I was not confident you were familiar with sign language."

I nodded, suddenly feeling excited. Someone else besides Sulu and Uhura; someone who I could easily talk to! I smiled from ear to ear, and I could have sworn I saw his own mouth flick up. His little portrayals of emotion made me slightly uneasy though. I knew Vulcans were supposed to shadow the emotion they felt, to conceal the feelings beneath the surface of a calm and clever face. The moments when his lips curved up or when his eyes flickered with an unidentified sentiment were rare but apparent. I could not help but twitch my fingers in a cautious state.

He lifted his hands and began to sign.

_I am not completely fluent in the language. Please redress me if I do not sign correctly._

I watched his long fingers sign and I smiled, still in a daze that he knew the language and I could sign with him. No more nodding!

_Yes, I will. You have no idea how happy I am, now that I do not have to write on paper_.

He stared at my own hands intently, trying to read the motions and comprehend them before responding accordingly.

_I am glad you are pleased with this advance. It will be much easier to communicate in the lab. _

I nodded and then my thoughts were reminded of the plant, still in the lab.

_Yes. Speaking of which, have you made any advances while studying the cactus?_

He nodded.

_The poison that entered your system was transferred through your skin when you touched the plant. The results on your body were quite severe._

I cocked my head

_What results?_

_The poison caused a hormonal imbalance in your central nervous system. Had the antidote not been created, the symptoms could have fatal_

I watched Spock sign, and I slumped back into the hospital bed. I could have died, but he saved me. It rattled me that the plant that seemed so trivial had such an effect on my body. That one foreign plant could cause so much harm as to make me bedridden in a hospital.

_Thank you._

_There is no need to thank me. It was the only logical option in the situation._

I smiled, glad that despite the flashes of emotion I had seen from him, he was still the logical commander I had known.

"Well lieutenant, you can be discharged tomorrow evening, once the chemicals in your blood stream are completely stable." Doctor McCoy walked in, carrying a PADD. He glanced at Spock. "Spock I recommend you leave for a bit so she can get some rest."

I scowled before signing vigorously at Spock. I didn't want to be confined here anymore, and perhaps the logical reasoning from Spock would convince McCoy to release me.

_Please tell him I do not want to be here anymore, and that I want to go to work. I feel perfectly able._

Spock seemed slightly torn between listening to the doctor or me. After a second, he looked at me.

_I promise you may work as soon as the doctor sees you fit for duty. Until then, you must rest. I must return to the bridge as of now, I will come back later in the day._

He signed before saying good bye to the doctor and leaving. The doctor shook his head and I scowled. I thought he would at least take my side on this, considering he was just talking to me and I felt perfectly healthy. I flopped back onto my pillow and watched as Doctor McCoy examined the monitor and typed on the PADD.

"You and that hobgoblin better not have been talkin' about me."

I smiled before shaking my head. He returned a small smile before taking the seat next to my bed that was previously occupied by Spock. Over the past 50 hours stuck in the room, he had become more gentler with me, but of course not any more lenient with the date of my release. He smiled at me more, his brown eyes softer when he looked at me and less stern when I kept a visitor too long. I felt like we had a friendship built on the fact that I was stuck in the med bay and our playful fights about when to let me out, how many tubes he put in me or how many pills he made me take.

His grin faded into a serious look.

"I've read your file, Stella."

I was more confused than nervous, but the uneasiness was back but with a more ominous underside. If this was going where I thought it was, I wanted to steer it away from the path it was on.

"We have therapy sessions available to crew members. I want you to try one, and-"

I cut him off with the wave of my hand. He frowned, dark eyes stern as I grabbed a pad of paper and scribbled on it. He sighed deeply as he read it.

_I understand, however I am doing much better since six years ago. The only reminder is the loss of my voice. I try to talk but I can't._

I twiddled my hands nervously as he stared at me, as if trying to scrutinize me. As if trying to put me together. But I was missing pieces and I didn't wan him delving into a private matter.

A few silent moments passed between us before I grabbed the pad of paper and slowly wrote.

_I try but I just can't._

He read it and looked at me again.

"I'm sorry Stella. But people do get their voices back after traumatic events. I want you to reconsider." He stood up, and I nodded slowly. I wasn't sure I was going to, and the look on his face told me he knew that too.

I swallowed thickly before turning to the side and pressing the button several times to increase the amount of medication I was on. McCoy looked on from his PADD, a slight look of disapproval mixed with concern. We both knew I shouldn't be using so much of it, but I didn't care what either of us though for the time being. I needed it.

Shortly after, sleep claimed me, and I was claimed by exhaustion and swimming thoughts.

* * *

My lack of voice caused several fights between my mother and I. Constantly between us it was "Why can't you just talk?" And "You are just making this harder for me! I can't lose both my daughters."

It would infuriate me. She thought it was about her, and not about her actual daughter that had killed herself. I missed it. My mother missed it. My sister was depressed and lonely and I had failed to help her. I was too late.

When I first found her hanging from the wooden beam on the ceiling, I didn't think it was her.

It was just another girl with the same chestnut hair only a little lighter than my own, the same flannel shirt I bought her for Christmas, the same black shoes she bought for me but always wore herself. Then it hit. So hard that the air was stolen from my lungs and I violently hit the floor. I didn't scream, yell, and cry. I dialed 911 as quickly as I could, my fingers fumbling for the numbers on my cell phone. I was hyperventilating as I heard the voice.

"You've reached the national emergency line, what is your emergency?" I heard a female voice say calmly. I didn't say anything before she repeated it.

"What is your emergency?"

I sucked in a shuddery breath.

"Help." The last word I ever said, before the phone slipped from my hand and I grabbed at her. I up righted the chair and jumped on it quickly and clumsily before trying to untie the rope with weak hands. It had taken an effort, but I had done it. I sat on the floor hugging my baby sister before the ambulance arrived and they took her away from me.

* * *

I know the ending was quite depressing, and I promise that this will probably be the last of the suicide talk. Stella will be getting her voice back soon and the story will be more up beat and more Spock-Stella moments. I plan to have some action coming up and more connection with the actual story line. I'm sorry if anyone seems out of character, please tell me if I did something wrong! Thanks so much for reading my story, and I have several chapters that will be put up soon!


	4. Chapter 4

I was discharged the next afternoon, and I resumed my work as if I had never left. I felt different however. Physically, I felt perfectly healthy. But the talk with Doctor McCoy made me feel...bad. Like I had the opportunities to get better, but I wasn't taking it.

I wanted to get better, I really did. But every therapist session, every oral therapy meeting; it never helped. I guess I just gave up.

"Good afternoon, Stella. I am glad to see you are in good health." Spock greeted, and I smiled as he entered.

_It's good to be working again. I don't think I could have lasted another day in that bio bed_.

He nodded before pulling on a pair of lab gloves. I watched his hands carefully as he signed.

_We will be leaving Andoria soon, for an uncharted planet. I have already given our research to the inhabitants of the planet. They are grateful for all you have done._

I sucked in my breath sharply. Spock did a lot of the work as well, and even so; if Spock never created the antidote, we would have nothing to give to the Andorians. So yes, it was because of my mistake of getting infected that the antidote was created. But it was Spock's doing.

_You have done most of the work, Commander. If not for you, the virus would have no cure. They should be thanking you_.

He watched my hands silently. That was the freaky thing about sign language- a whole conversation could be passed in complete silence. A whole fight, discussion, prayer; quietly. The silence could be consuming sometimes, but I found it calming.

Spock's eyes flickered as he signed back to me.

_It is not logical to argue who should be thanked. However, your intelligence and research greatly attributed. And again, if I am to call you by your given name, it is only logical for you to call me by mine. Formalities are not necessary._

I smiled and nodded. Arguing about who would be receiving the gratitude was illogical, so I let it slip and moved onto another subject.

_We are leaving here soon?_

He nodded before opening a PADD and reading from it.

_We will be heading into a different quadrant, where there have been rumors for another humanoid species residing there_.

I blinked. Another alien species? And humanoid, no less. That was amazing! I felt excitement boil up inside me.

I began to sign quickly.

_Another extraterrestrial species? That's amazing!_

He nodded, emotion not crossing his features, but I could see he was curious about the situation. An entire race, undiscovered by Star Fleet; an adventure was inevitable to happen! He signed calmly.

_We will be arriving at the planet in approximately 16 hours. Until then, we should prepare the stations for research of unidentified plants or viruses. Among other things._

Among other things? I nodded slowly before gathering some tools from the table. We spent the next hour preparing petri dishes and microscopes and trays of lab equipment. Every so often I would see him typing on his PADD or scribbling notes nearby. Probably creating calculations and ordering necessary supplies. After we finished with the preparations, I sat down and lay my head on my hands. I was exhausted, emotionally and physically. Thinking about my sister did that to me. It had been almost six years. If not for her, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have gone to the academy, gotten my PhD in science and botany, or landed a job on the enterprise. But none of it was worth losing her. I tried to eradicate the thoughts of her from my head, but the discussion I had had with Doctor McCoy had somewhat shaken feeling of edginess when you have an opportunity and you aren't 100% sure if you wanted to take it. Guilt, exhaustion and annoyance crept into my chest, brooding as I placed my pen down.

"Lieutenant, are you feeling well?" I heard Spock ask behind me. I nodded weakly before sitting up straight and standing to my full height. He looked like he was about to say something else when I heard a knock on the lab door.

Sulu stood in it, holding a small pot with soil as it's contents. Sprouted from the dirt was another orchid, this one a dark fuchsia with similar white spots like the last one he brought. It wasn't terran however. It was...Vulcan. The spiked stem, similar to a terrain rose, was a dark green color, native to Vulcan. And like an earth cactus, it retained more water due to the hot climate of the planet. While I had studied at the academy, learning about the flora from Vulcan was a wonderful experience. Some plants were similar to the ones on Earth; similar colors, shapes, and scents. Others were completely different. retaining qualities never seen in plants on Earth.

"Evening, Stella. I brought you another flower. This one isn't terrain though. But you already knew that, didn't you?" He chuckled, and I smiled. He handed me the plant and I examined it carefully. It was beautiful, and smelt familiar. I placed the plant down carefully and signed a thank you, and he shook his head. I always felt bashful when he got me flowers, for I was never able to return the gesture or give him a gift I knew he would love. He was able to read me so well that he knew my favorite flower was an orchid and I particularly fascinated with the Vulcan foliage.

"It was no problem Stella. But, if you aren't busy right now, would you like to join me for dinner?"

I stared at him, slightly taken back but flattered. I glanced down at the flower before looking back at Spock, who had been watching the exchanged between us with calm eyes. I was somewhat embarrassed for him to be watching us, like he was judging me for some odd reason. I shook it off and managed to lift my hand.

_Is it all right if I go? Or is there still work left to be done?_

He shook his head.

"No, Stella, we are finished for the day. I will see you tomorrow."

I nodded my head and signed quickly. I took in his dark features against his pale face, chocolate eyes framed by dark lashes. I couldn't read him.

_Thank you sir. Have a nice evening._

He nodded and turned away from me, back to his microscope. I smiled up at Sulu and we made our way to the mess.

"So I assume Commander Spock informed you about arriving at that new planet, right?" Sulu and I grabbed a table, sitting down as I placed my new plant down. I nodded.

_It seems very interesting. I will have a lot to study once I get samples from the planet._

He propped his feet up on the empty chair next to us and smiled, his eyes crinkling.

_"The captain said he was going to put together a landing party. I bet you're interested in that."_

I shook my head regretfully but smiled despite myself.

_I would love that. But I would never be sent down, I am not qualified. If they sent any science officer, it would be the commander._

Sulu nodded understandingly.

"I tell you Sulu, one more bloody day with those hooligans in engineering, and I'll, I'll explode!"

I heard Scotty's thick accent before he reached the table, a plate of food in hand. He sat down at the table, a frustrated look on his face. Sulu chuckled.

"What happened this time? Another mess up with the warp core? Or was it the light panel this time? "Sulu joked, but Scotty didn't crack a smile.

"One of the cadets didn't know what a bloody panel hack saw was! Can ye believe that?" He looked at me and threw his hands up in frustration.

"And the worst part was, the lad started to cry! I canne' work with a group of crybabies, I swear..." His voice was rising, and I touched my ear drums. I turned to Sulu.

_Please tell him I'm mute, not deaf._

Sulu chuckled before passing the message to the Scott. The dry humor was often a run through between us, as long as it was not dwelled on long enough to be a melancholy topic. Scotty huffed and seemed to release a bit of anger at the jest.

"Sorry lass. It's just these interns are driving me crazy!" He dug into his meal. I smiled inwardly.

"So, are ye guys going to the ships bar night next week? I heard it was going to be a

Special one, because it's some officers birthday." He said before taking another bite of his meal.

I shook my head, and Sulu stared at me.

"Why not? It's fun, and there's usually dancing; stay away from the captain though." He said playfully. I smiled before shrugging my shoulders. They weren't really my thing. Too crowded, too much alcohol, the music was too loud. Not my scene. I suppose I was a bit of an introvert but not enough to be considered extremely shy and timid. But I most certainly wasn't an extrovert, even if I did have my voice. I wasn't anti-social, but I wasn't an odd-one-out-loner. I was in between.

"Well ye should consider it, Stella. They can be fun ye know." Scotty smiled as I stood up. I faced Sulu and signed.

_Please tell him I will consider it. But I must get to my quarters, I will be very busy tomorrow, with all this new planet stuff._

He nodded understandingly before I waved goodbye to both of them.


	5. Chapter 5

**So this chapter is a bit longer than usual, and hopefully I can keep my chapters longer like it. Stella will be getting her voice back soon, so please bear with me. I will try to make the story more interesting once she does. Please review and rate, and thanks for reading! I do not own Star Trek.**

The landing party consisted of the captain, Doctor McCoy, nurse Chapel, and Commander Spock. Scans of the planet had proved there was life, and most definite humanoid. It was a suitable climate, clean water and atmosphere, and a surplus of food. But no one could be sure if they were peaceful or hostile. It was a risk, but one that James T. Kirk was ready to take. More than ready. He was excited, almost visibly as he was bouncing on his heels on the transporter pad.

"Jim, try to show some excitement." McCoy joked sarcastically. He was not exactly ecstatic for the trip, and was grumbling all the way from med bay to the beaming room.

"Doctor, let him have his fun. Besides, this will be a fascinating experience for all of us!" The blonde nurse said, trying to brighten the atmosphere.

"Fascinating? You're starting to sound like Spock." The southern doctor muttered bitterly. Said Vulcan looked up at him, frowning.

"Doctor McCoy, my choice of vocabulary should not define-"

He was cut off by Scotty, who walked into the room.

"Ready to be beamed to a planet that may or not be inhabited by volatile life forms that could suck out you brains?", He said, punching in buttons on the glassy pad.

"Yes Mr. Scott. But hopefully that won't happen." Kirk joked, and Scotty grinned back. Moments later, the landing party was encircled in gold light, and the scene of the Enterprise changed into an earth looking terrain. Kirk took out his phaser and set it to stun.

"Split into groups. Spock you come with me. Bones, you go with Nurse Chapel. Meet back here in two hours."

The groups went in two different directions, heading into the deep forest brush. Kirk wasted no time jumping into conversation with his first officer.

"So, Spock. How's Lieutenant Anderson?" Kirk asked, smiling slightly at his Vulcan commander. Spock momentarily paused from his task of gathering plant samples.

"I do not understand your meaning captain." He stated simply. His captain turned to look at him.

"My meaning is that you two have been spending an awfully lot of time together." He elaborated, and Spock's eye brows furrowed.

"Our relationship is strictly professional. If you are implying that-"

"Spock, Spock, relax, I was just kidding you." Kirk interrupted, fighting off the small smirk that threatened to play across his lips.

The Vulcan frowned ever so slightly, but said nothing. After a few more moments of silence, the blonde captain spoke up again.

"Be careful around her Spock. She's fragile."

"If you are implying she is sensitive due to her impairment, I would have to say you are incorrect. She is very intelligent, and from what I have seen, eager to learn and gain experience." Spock explained, and Kirk shrugged.

"She puts up walls, Spock. She came aboard almost three years ago, and no one knows much about her past. Uhura may know more but as for anyone else..." His voice trailed off.

"Captain, it would be inappropriate for me to pry into her private afflictions or activities. It would also be unprofessional for me to do so."

Kirk sighed deeply at his friend's response. He opened his mouth to say something more when a rustle in a bush startled him. Both men prepared there phasers quickly, lifting them up ready to stun.

"Whoa, whoa, I come in peace, or whatever you're supposed to say!"

Kirk lowered his phaser slightly, but Spock kept his up.

"Show yourself, or we'll shoot." Kirk threatened. Seconds later, a man appeared. Jim glanced at him up and down. He was dressed like an ancient Greek, his white toga and olive leave crown matching his open toed sandals. He looked human enough, and he spoke English but with a slight lilt in his words.

"My name is Parmen. Welcome to our planet, Platonia. You are part of Star Fleet, are you not?"

He had sandy blonde hair and dark eyes, walking towards the duo slowly.

Kirk nodded slowly, finally lowering his weapon along with Spock.

"My name is Captain James T. Kirk of the U.S.S. Enterprise. This is my first commander Spock. We were assigned to come survey this planet and study it. Peacefully." He added, stepping forward. Parmen smiled widely.

"If that is the truth, we welcome you to our humble home. Please, follow me!" He said excitedly, leading them further into the forest vegetation. Both star fleet officers followed hesitantly.

"Captain, it is not logical to follow him. We do not know if his is trustworthy. This could be a trap." Spock whispered. Kirk nodded.

"I know. Keep your phaser ready."

After a few minutes of walking, they were lead to a door, elegantly etched with ancient Greek symbols and letters.

"This is my palace, welcome, welcome!" He grandly gestured and led them inside. The walls were lit by wooden torches, the only source of light fot the passages they were led through. They took several turns and curves, and it was almost maze-like. They were guided into a large, high ceiling room, made of marble and etched stone. Statues of ancient gods and goddesses were placed throughout the room. At the back of the room, a grand throne sat, which Parmen soon occupied. He crossed his legs and smiled at the Star Fleet officers.

"This is my palace. Please, make yourselves comfortable! Your friends should be joining us soon."

Spock looked over at Kirk.

Jim frowned at Parmen.

Parmen looked content before Kirk spoke up.

"Where are they?"

Shortly as the question left His mouth, Bones and Chapel entered the room, aided by a tall woman in a dark red dress.

Bones looked grumpy as usual, but Christine looked plain confused and slightly scared. Bones crossed his arms.

"Jim, mind telling us what the hell is going on?"

Parmen stood up and crossed the room, smiling at the dark haired woman.

"Can we offer you a drink? Some food? We can explain everything after we have given you welcome gifts!" He said, almost song like. The woman placed a green olive leaf crown on Bones head, and he glared at it like it was poisoned. A similar one was placed on Christine's and then Kirk's. The dark haired woman then walked to Spock slowly, a seductive smile placed on her mouth. She reached up slowly to place it on her head, brushing against his pointed ears as her hands retreated. His jaw clenched ever so slightly, and her smirked widened. His ears were a source of irritation for him, as they were extremely sensitive with several more nerve endings than a human's. Although it allowed his hearing to be more advanced, it was not seen as a positive gift when his exuberant captain was around.

"Welcome, welcome!" Parmen gesticulated wildly, obviously excited by the visitors.

"You are on our wonderful planet, Platonia! I am the king of this wonderful kingdom, and this is my queen, Sarila."

Sarila smiled a row of pearly white teeth, contrasting with her dark hair sharply.

"Hello. It's nice to meet you." Her voice was sultry as she spoke. Parmen reclaimed his throne and slumped gracefully in it.

"We have live here peacefully for thousands of years. We follow the teachings of Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, from your own planet, earth. As you can see, we have adopted more than his philosophies. Our culture has been deeply influenced by Greek traditions." He explained as Sarila took a seat on the arm of his throne.

"We have lived in seclusion, and do not often get visits from extraterrestrial life. Especially from Star Fleet!" She grinned, and Kirk smiled back although still uneasy about the suspicious couple.

"Well, we were not expecting to find such a humanoid species. It's almost as if you are from the planet earth. It's hard to believe you have been under Star Fleet's radar for so long." He commented, reaching up to touch his new head piece. Parmen smiled regally.

"We wished to remain a peaceful, isolated colony. But we happily welcome visitors!"

Spock's eyebrows furrowed, suspicious of the contradicting words that had just left Parmen's mouth. But he said nothing. Suddenly, Christine walked towards Kirk and looked him straight in the eye.

"Captain, I love you!" She said loudly, before falling back and covering her mouth. She looked at him in confusion, and he looked back, eyes wide in perplexity.

"What in god's name was that?" Bones demanded, obviously ticked off. She blinked, not knowing what had happened any more than they did. She hurried to explain and stuttered over her words incoherently.

"I-I don't know c-captain! I couldn't c-control myself, I didn't mean t-to, I didn't c-choose to-"

She was cut off my Sarila's laugh, friendly but poisonous all the same. Parmen frowned.

"That's no way for you to treat our guests, my queen." He chided, but still she smiled. Kirk's lips pulled down.

"How did she do that?" He demanded, feeling the urge to reach for his phaser. Parmen just smiled, unaffected by the sharp turn that Kirk's voice had overtaken.

"We are humans," he began, and He glanced at Sarila, "but with advanced...gifts, if that's what you could call it. Telekinesis." He explained, as if it were no big deal.

"So you can control people?" Bones asked, slightly shocked. Parmen shrugged, again nonchalantly as if it were average to be able to control people and make them talk.

"We do not like to use it on our visitors or native inhabitants. We use it mainly to help build structures and in our criminal justice system to get criminals to speak the truth."

Kirk nodded slowly, but stole a glance at Christine. Dubious thoughts were blatant in his mind but he pushed them aside when other, more important ideas began to brew in his head.

"However, my queen can be...too playful sometimes. Do forgive her if she causes trouble." Parmen apologized on Sarila's behalf, but she didn't look too sorry. Kirk cocked his head to the side.

"How did you get her to talk?" Kirk asked lowly. Sarila grinned.

"I controlled her vocal cords. However, I could get someone with no throat to talk!" She boasted, crossing her legs and leaning back on the chair. Kirk's eyes widened slightly. He met Spock's eyes, and saw his friend was thinking the same thing as he was. Bones, who was watching their eyes meet, shook his head.

"Don't do it Jim. It might not work, and she might not want to do it." The doctor warned. Spock remained silent. They all had the same thought, and they were on the same page. But the opinions they had were on different steps, warning from one and dubious ideas to the other.

"It's worth a shot." The blonde captain looked at Sarila.

"You said you could give anyone a voice?" He questioned. She nodded slowly. She batted her eyes, dark lashes surrounding light blue, near silver, irises.

"To whom does it concern?"

Bones shook his head. She might not want to get her voice back forced, and on a chance that it wouldn't even work? To get her hopes up for an impossibility? It was a risk that couldn't be taken, in his opinion.

"If we were to bring a science officer from our ship," Jim began, "could you give her a voice? She's mute and maybe if you could make her talk, she could do it on her own."

Sarila pursed her lips, thinking. After a few seconds of pondering the idea, she nodded.

"I can make her talk, but I cannot guarantee she will be able to do it on her own."

Spock was interested. To hear the voice of a woman he had been working with for weeks now. Her dark blue eyes had so much to say, like words trapped behind an ocean of glass. Her mouth parted as if words were about to come flowing out, but nothing ever escaped her light pink lips. She would walk into the lab every evening silently, her hair pulled up into a complicated bun and her lab coat a pristine white. But her face was soft and sensitive, her slender fingers like they could easily be broken if he touched them. He had caught himself wanting to touch them, simply to see how soft they were, but he had the fought the urge to do so. It was inappropriate and unprofessional. After the feelings began to arise, he had buried them beneath the surface with several hours of calming meditation. Since then, they had been stuck behind a wall and never wavered out since.

"We thank you for this. In return, we offer you-" Kirk was cut off by a wave of Parmen's hand.

"We do not need gifts or reimbursement! Our gift is seeing this poor silent girl speak, hearing her voice. That is a wonderful gift in return!"

Bones huffed silently. Christine looked on, intrigued by the possibility of Stella hearing her voice again. Spock tried to imagine the chances of her actually achieving her sound. Kirk just smiled widely.

"Thank you, we cannot appreciate your kindness enough. We will return tomorrow with her, if that's alright with you?"

Parmen stood up, nodding as he padded over to Kirk and gave him a tight hug. Kirk returned it, uncomfortable with the invasion of his space. Sarila looked on, slightly amused.

"Thank you for your hospitality, but we must return to the Enterprise." He explained once he was released from the hug. Parmen nodded, and lead them out into the wood like scenery of trees and bushes. He waved them off as they were surrounded by gold light and beamed back to the ship.

* * *

"Jim, you can't serious!" Bones argued with his captain, but to no avail. He had a scowl on his face as he made his way from med bay to the bridge, prepared to sway the mind of his thick headed captain. So far, he wasn't succeeding.

"Bones, this is a perfect opportunity for her to get her voice back!" Jim was lounging in the captain's chair, refusing to listen to his friend's warning.

Jim huffed deeply as Spock walked towards him from his post.

"I agree, captain. You previously stated that she was a sensitive being. Giving her an opportunity that might not work could lead to further emotional distress for the lieutenant."

Spock remained placid but underneath his calm surface, a storm was brewing. He did not want to dangle a chance game in front of Stella's face, only to have it fail. Jim frowned.

"Stella may be sensitive but if you were her, don't you think you would want to take the chance?"

Bones and Spock both ponder this. Was it worth a shot? Maybe. Would it work? Perhaps. It was a game of maybes and ifs and chances. Kirk was willing to play it. Spock relented his argument.

"I will listen to your good judgment, however questionable." As soon as the words left his lips, Spock was left wondering if his judgment really was such. Bones sighed.

"Go ahead and tell her Jim. But she refused therapy and help from me. I'm starting to wonder if she doesn't want her voice back at all!"

Spock shook his head curtly.

"I assure you Doctor, that is not the case. She is simply scared." The Vulcan stated flatly, his calm features unchanging. The doctor's scowl deepened.

"And I'm supposed to take emotional advice from an emotionless robot?"

Spock was undeterred by the insult.

"Doctor McCoy, your insult proves that you are defensive and therefore prove my fact valid."

Bones looked at Jim, his scowl deepening.

"Whether or not that's the case, just consider her feelings. Someone that's gone through what she has..." The doctor trailed off, and Spock looked on with a new interest that he hid perfectly behind his Vulcan features. He was not aware of what had triggered her silence, if there was one at all. He recalled his previous conversation with the captain, and his words suggesting Stella's background was not we known to other crew members.

"I know Bones, I know. But giving her a voice...it could create a whole new realm of possibilities for her." Jim had made his decision.

"We'll head down to the planet tomorrow with her. Spock, Bones, you'll be part of the landing party. Tell Nurse Chapel she'll be needed in the med bay. For now, Spock, get Stella down to sick bay."

* * *

"Lieutenant Anderson, please report to sick. bay as soon as possible." I looked up from my microscope, pulling my goggles off my eyes. Why would I be need there?

It was nearing the end of my shift for the day, and it was almost time for me to join Spock in the other lab. But I'm sure it wouldn't take too long. Probably just another checkup due to my previous...Andorian affliction. I hopped up from my lab chair and shrugged off my lab coat. I walked down to the med bay, simultaneously yanking my messy brown hair into a bun. Even after I succeeded in my task, I'm sure I had several tendrils free from the tied knot. My hair didn't easily fit into any hair style, so my only option was to force it into a tight bun that half way through the day, would need to be redone. It was a task I did not appreciate.

When I arrived in the med bay, I met the eyes of Doctor McCoy, Spock, and the captain. I stopped short. Was I in trouble? Just as I was about to start apologizing for not properly cleaning off a tool in the lab or accidentally spilling water by the lab control panel, Kirk smiled brightly before clapping a hand on my shoulder. He seemed to be a mind reader, answering the hectic thoughts that began to emerge in my slightly paranoid brain.

"Good afternoon, Stella. Relax, you're not in trouble."

He eased my concerns a little bit, and I stood up taller, cocking my head in question. If I wasn't in trouble, and I wasn't here for a checkup, why was I here? And why was Spock and the captain here?

He took a step forward.

"Commander, I believe she is confused as to why she is needed here."

I watched the captain nod, and I stood still, confused.

"Stella," The captain began, suddenly more serious, "How would you like to get your voice back?"

I froze. Well, not really. But it was like couldn't breathe but my lungs were filling and emptying with air. I was shocked. I stared at the captain right in his blue eyes, trying to see if he was serious. My mouth was probably hanging open and my eyes were probably like a wild animals but I didn't take notice as my thoughts were yanked in different directions. I was thinking a thousand different things and words at once, and yet my brain felt vacant and hollow.

"Lieutenant? Are you feeling ill?" My eyes landed on Spock, my eyes meeting his dark ones. I saw flashes of concern in them, and I immediately snapped out of my surprised state.

This was a joke wasn't it? A cruel joke. Anger began to bubble up inside my stomach, a warm, searing feeling that I tried to suppress. Irritation took it's place, my head becoming a bit clearer despite the bullet that had just seemed to hit my head.

I slowly brought my hands up and signed.

_Why would you say something like that?_

Spock seemed to seemed to see the hurt on my face, the tears threatening to appear in my eyes, for his eyes softened ever so slightly. Without breaking eye contact with me, he spoke.

"Captain, perhaps you should elaborate."

I broke the stare between us and glanced at the captain. He nodded quickly, his hands moving slightly as he spoke energetically.

"You are aware that Mister Spock, Doctor McCoy, nurse Chapel and I beamed down to an uncharted planet earlier today, right?"

I nodded slowly. The samples Spock had brought back were incredibly similar to the plants on earth. I was shocked to say the least. I hadn't looked up from my work since a crew member delivered several tubes and dishes containing the new herbage.

"Well," the captain continued, "we encountered an indigenous humanoid species. With telekinetic abilities."

Whatever shock I was feeling before, it increased tenfold now. Telekinetic abilities? I shook my head and signed to Spock.

What does that have to do with getting my voice back?

He nodded and began to explain further more.

"They possess telekinetic abilities, and were able to control Nurse Chapel. They made her speak without her will."

I nodded slowly.

Who's they?

"Two inhabitants of the planet who claimed to be the king and queen. With their power, there is a possibility they can force you to use your voice box and learn to talk again."

I held onto the door frame to keep me from falling over. If what they were saying was true...I could talk again! I could laugh and cry and scream and talk! I took a shaky breath and looked at Kirk with slightly blurry eyes. He grinned widely, and I took a deep breath. The bullet that seemed to hit me earlier had turned into a missile of bursting thoughts and emotions and doubts. I heard Bones stand up from behind his desk and grab a PADD.

"But if you want to be part of the landing party, I need to do a full scale physical exam."

He took out a hypo, and I frowned. I hated needles. Bones seemed to adapt a sadistic manner when he used them on someone, particularly Jim. While it was comical to watch him chase the captain down, it wasn't as humorous when it was on me.

I was still suffering from the slight shock of getting a chance to hear my voice, so I didn't notice Bones staring at me.

"Well, in order to do an exam, I need you to remove your shirt."

He was blunt, a characteristic I though could encompass his personality in one word.

My face began to burn before I turned to Spock.

_Is that really necessary?_

I signed.

Spock nodded, not taking my side in a fruitless argument, before turning to Jim.

"It is time for us to take our leave and return to the bridge while she undergoes her exam."

Jim smirked, and I could see a crude comment leave his lips before he even said it.

"Oh, come on, I'm sure Bones wouldn't mind if we waited around during her exam-"

"Yes, I would. Now leave." Bones growled, and I would have giggled if I wasn't so embarrassed. Jim held his hand up in defense as he made his way out. Spock turned to me once he reached the door.

"I will meet you in the lab tonight around 09:00. We can discuss the required preparations for your activities tomorrow." He turned on his heel and left promptly, leaving me alone with the doctor. He stood in front of me and took out a small flash light. He shone it in my right eye, and then in my left. He moved quietly, before sitting down across from me in a chair. I swung my legs off the bio bed.

"You don't have to do this." He said suddenly. His eyes were somber as he stared into mine. I was confused. Of course I wanted to get my voice back. But like this? I twitched my fingers as he held his gaze on me. I could never hide anything from him, he was similar to a lie detector, but more of one for emotions. He always knew what I was feeling, even before _I_ knew what I was feeling.

"I know it's a hard decision. But you won't admit that, will you?"

I averted my gaze from him, before inhaling and exhaling slowly. I nodded after a few seconds.

He finally stood up, walking towards me. His dark brown eyes match his hair, only a few shades darker than my own strands.

"It's your decision. I don't want to influence you. But...we aren't sure this will work. Don't get your hopes up to high." He said. I knew he was just trying to help me, protect me, and he wasn't being negative in a sense. But I wasn't this small pathetic mute girl that needed protection from things right in front of her. I nodded anyway, fighting back the irritation that stirred in my chest. He took a stethoscope and hooked it around his neck.

"Take off your shirt please."

I complied slowly, and shivered when the cold air hit my bare skin. My arms were naked and my stomach was littered in goose bumps. I sucked in sharply when his hand landed on my back.

"Any pain?"

I shook my head.

"Any cuts, bruises, and marks I should know about?"

I shook my head again.

He spent another minute feeling my back and spine, before giving me permission to put my shirt on.

"You are perfectly healthy," he typed deftly on his PADD, "and I will see you tomorrow in the transporter room." His normally gruff facial expression was softened by a small smile, which I returned. His voice was not disappointed but it had a ring to it that made me feel bad about even considering the method to get my voice back in such a way.

I quickly slipped my shirt on and jumped off the bio bed. I spied the clock. I was due to meet Spock in the lab in about an hour. Until then I was free to do what I pleased. I chose the time to go back down to my lab. If I wasn't going to be here for work tomorrow, I might as well do what I could today. Electricity continued to buzz through me as I walked down to lab 3, bouncing on my heels. The possibility of being able to talk again- what I had wanted and tried to do for years- was amazing. But of course, I was still shaken by what doctor McCoy had told me. He was spot on; I was scared. Scared that it might not work, scares that I might get hurt, scared that when I could talk, I wouldn't mentally know how. I knew the words, I knew grammar and how to write. But it had been years since any words and letters and sentences had left my mouth. What if I sounded weird? I probably would. What if I was too quiet? Too loud?

I shook my head mentally and physically, it was a risk I chose to take. One that I needed to take.

When I arrived at the lab, I was surprised to see commander Spock already there, propped up in the lab chair using the microscope. I knocked lightly, and he twisted his head to look at me.

"Hello, Stella. I was not expecting you for another 44 minutes. Did your exam go shorter than expected?"

I nodded and walked in, grabbing a lab coat off a hook and swinging it over my shoulders. I pulled my hands through the sleeves before signing.

_Yes. I figured I could do some extra research, seeing as I will be occupied tomorrow._

He nodded and began to scribble notes on a stray sheet. I glanced at his ever so elegant script, an assort of numbers and fractions I didn't quite understand. I waited until he lofted his head up again and looked at me.

_What are you doing?_

He watched my hands before responding.

"I am creating a formula for the chances of a plant responding a certain way to an alien chemical." He explained, and I sat down in the chair next to him. I watched him write numbers on the paper, every so often looking through the scope carefully. After a few minutes of complete silence, he stopped working and faced me, looking at me squarely.

"You are nervous.", he stated simply. He came in second place of bluntness, behind Doctor McCoy of course. Whatever thoughts he chose to speak were always straight forward and concise. I swallowed. How easy to read was I? I didn't respond, but he took it as my answer.

"You will be escorted to the planet with the captain, Doctor McCoy, and myself. There is no reason to be afraid or nervous."

I nodded, even though that was not the reason I was jittery. I tapped my fingers on the solid counter top. I knew I was in capable hands. I knew I was safe from danger. But I wasn't safe from myself, my emotions, and my voice.

Spock glanced at my twitched hand and then back to my face.

"However, if you are worried about our theory not working, that is understandable. I cannot guarantee our plan will work. But I can assure you that you are making the right decision by joining us to the planet."

I nodded, and truthfully, his sound logic made me feel a little bit better. I trusted his judgment; better than my own.

Suddenly, I had an urge. An urge to reach up and touch his pointed ears and feel how sensitive his ears were. They lead to a cream white neck, a broad chest and solid abdomen. His dark hair complimented his eyes and contrasted with his skin. Pointed eye brows swept elegantly upwards. Cupid's bow lips, light pink and parted as if ready to state something purely logical.

My thoughts were interrupted by Spock, standing up and crossing the room. I was glad he was facing the other way, as my face was probably a dusted a strawberry red. He carefully pick up the pot, examining my orchid analytically. He must have known it was Vulcan as soon as Sulu gave it to me. I smiled as he inhaled softly.

"It is an orchid indigenous to Vulcan. Lieutenant Sulu must have been cultivating it extremely carefully for it to have survived so healthily." He stated simply.

He crossed the room, resuming his seat with the plant in tow.

I looked at its petals, contemplating what Spock had said. It would be awfully difficult to take care of a Vulcan plant in such conditions. I suddenly felt flattered that Sulu had chosen to give it to me, after all the care that must have gone into taking care of it. Spock must have read my mind, because he glanced up at me with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"When a Vulcan marriage ceremony is performed, orchids are typically the flower of choice in the female Vulcan's head dress. It is seen as a romantic flower in most cultures, although Vulcans typically do not exert energy over romance or frivolous gestures as such."

It took me a minute to realize what he was insinuating. I quickly raised my hand in defense, signing at lightning speed.

_No, we are not involved romantically, in anyway. We are very close friends, however._

No emotion crossed his face but I could have sworn I saw amusement flicker in his chestnut eyes. I lifted my hands again.

_Do you think they are a flower of romance?_

His eyebrow quirked furthermore, and I clarified.

_The orchid. Do you think they are romantic?_

He seemed to contemplate my question for a moment before answering.

"My mother was human, so I suppose she would see them as such. However, I do not see the logic in giving a flower an emotional purpose."

I paused. His mother was human? So his father was Vulcan. And he was an alien hybrid.

Suddenly, all the times I saw emotion flicker beneath the surface of his face, every time a smile played on his lips (albeit very small and unnoticeable) it was because he was half human! The epiphany struck me and pulled me off balance a bit, and he noticed with ease.

"You are shocked by my half human half Vulcan heritage.", he stated simply, and I nodded.

_I have never heard of such a happening. It is interesting._

He didn't nod or say anything. He just stared at me for a moment before looking back to the plant.

"It is a beautiful plant. They were my mother's favorite."

I could hear the faintest bit of sadness, nostalgia in his voice. I felt my heart drop, as I remembered the fate of Vulcan. A terrible day, for the remaining survivors and for Star Fleet. I hadn't been on the Enterprise during the event. I graduated from Star Fleet that same year, being assigned to the Enterprise shortly after the incident. Part of me was glad I had missed the terrible ordeal. The other half wished I was aboard, so maybe I could have done something. But I was here now, in front of a man that no longer had a home planet.

I forced a small smile.

_I can see why_

His eyes met mine again, and I shifted slightly under his analytic gaze. I quickly twirled in my seat to face the desk, attempting to escape his watch, but his eyes held mine.

_Commander we should resume our work._

I quickly moved my hands before my eyes scanned the notes in front of me. We worked in still quiet, until I found myself in a steady rhythm of working that I thought I could hear.

* * *

**So yes, this chapter was longer than the past few. I hope you enjoyed and please review and rate!**

**I really am trying to keep everyone in character, especially Spock and Bones. I don't want Bones to be so mushy and nice, and I don't want Spock to show a lot of emotion so he is out of character. Please tell me if I am doing anything wrong and give me suggestions. **

**Thanks for reading, I really appreciate it. Stella will be getting her voice back soon (I know I keep saying that, don't kill me) and following that I will have more advancements in her relationship with Spock. Thanks!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, so this is the first real action-y chapter, and it will have more adventure in it. For those of you who haven't watched the original series, the idea for this chapter came from the episode "Plato's Step Children." If you haven't seen it, it doesn't really matter, so you can read the chapter without watching the original series. If you have seen it, you'll notice it isn't a lot like the episode. I simply took the plot line the telekinetic people and their culture, and mashed it with my own character, imagination, and thoughts for my story line. I hope you like it! I do not own Star Trek, or the characters in it. I only own Stella.**

* * *

I opened my eyes in wonder, completely awestruck by the earth-identical scene unfolding in front of me as the gold swirls cleared from my vision. If I could talk, I would probably be speechless. What a bitter sweet joke.

That I soon wouldn't have to use!

Kirk came up behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder. A grin was on his face, and mine was unmatched to his. It was like he was more excited than I was, but once again, my ocean of happiness was plagued by that tinged of fear, nervousness, and... Regret? No. I couldn't feel regret. I wouldn't allow it. I had searched my voice, but I never could find it. Now I finally could.

Kirk led me through the brush, and after a few minutes, I questioned whether or not we were lost. Every now and then, I would glance over my shoulder to see Spock and Doctor McCoy, trailing behind us. They didn't question Jim, so neither did I.

Eventually, we reached a large, concrete door, with ivy vines twirling up it. I could see symbols carved into it, but I had no clue what they meant. I was just about to ask Kirk why we were there, when the door opened, small dust particles puffing in the sun lit air.

He was average height, maybe a bit on the short side, with salt and pepper hair and eyes fringed by goldish lashes that glittered slightly. He bowed, and walked slowly to me, smiling brightly. He might have Kirk and I both beat in the smiling contest.

"Hello, hello, welcome! You must be the girl we have heard so many great things about! Please, please, come into our palace!"

I was shocked by his overzealous hospitality to a stranger he had just met. And the fact that he claimed to know stuff about me. I didn't have time to think about what things had been said about me, for he had gestured for me to walk forward.

He led us into what appeared to be a giant throne room, where a tall, (gorgeous, if I may add) curvy woman sat on the arm of the large chair. She wore a dark green dress that matched her dark hair nicely. She was tall and confidence radiated off her like a sun radiates light. I felt a twang in my stomach but I quickly suppressed it. Jealousy? I immediately felt embarrassed for such a feeling for a woman I had just met. She smiled, standing up and extending a delicate hand. I looked back at Kirk, who nodded.

I met her hand, which was much softer than mine, decorated with several bands of gold on her wrist and fingers. She was several inches taller than I, but probably due to the fact she was wearing heels, a dark ebony black that seemed to ooze out onto the floor like in. Her smile revealed a row of pearly white teeth that matched her clear silky skin.

She released my hand and gestured to the man that had lead us in.

"This is Parmen, and I am Sarila." She smiled widely as Parmen slid his hand around her waist and held her close.

"We are the king and queen of this wonderful society.", he said grandly, obviously holding a sense of pride in said society.

I then realized the decor of the room. It reminded me of ancient Greece, with the ivy leaves slinking around the pillars of the room, and the white toga that Parmen wore. Studying the time period of the ancient Greeks at the academy was amazing. Several different facets composed the culture and society, and it was fascinating to learn about I suppose the olive leaf crowns that he and Sarila wore were a dead giveaway of their connection to Greek heritage.

Parmen grinned at me.

"I'm sure you are excited, are you not?"

I nodded slowly, and his grin widened, if possible.

"We should begin as soon as possible. Please, take a seat."

He sat me down on a nearby chair and then turned to look at Kirk.

"To make sure the control is as successful as possible, there must be the least amount of people in the room. Please, please, you must leave."

Kirk immediately stepped forward.

"I am sorry but we can't just leave her alone." He said calmly.

Parmen seemed torn for a moment before his grin returned, not faltering at Kirk's skeptical tone he had seemed to take on.

"Sarila, please, take Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy out of the room to the visitors quarters."

Bones was about to protest angrily before Parmen held his hand up.

"Mister Spock can stay in the room. Seeing as he is Vulcan, his emotions are better controlled, and therefore will not interfere with the telepathy.", Parmen explained, and Kirk nodded reluctantly.

"Take care of her Spock." Bones muttered under his breath as he and Kirk were escorted out of the room by Sarila. Before I could contemplate his meaning because quite honestly, I was fully capable of taking care of myself, Parmen looked at me intensely.

"Now, I am going to manipulate your vocal cords, so it might...tingle."

He looked at my neck, concentration on his face. At first I didn't feel anything, but soon I did. I felt a buzzy feeling inside my throat, like there were butterflies in it rather than in my stomach. My mouth then opened, without my consent. I could feel it- like words about to come flowing from my mouth and I was going to speak. I felt vibrating excitement in my stomach as I began to mouth a word. I could feel it, I was going to-

One second, I was about to mouth the word that was sitting in my open mouth; the next, I was thrown- no, catapulted- from my chair. I went air borne for a second or two, but who's counting? I landed with a painful thump on the ground, my world spinning before I tried to piece together what had happened. It was like I was a glass cup on a table and someone yanked the cloth from beneath my feet, causing me to tip over and break. I felt a dull ache in my head, and I could feel a bit of warm liquid around it. I knew it wasn't bad; it wasn't much blood. But it was enough to hurt like a bitch.

"Stella!" I heard Spock's voice fill my ears, and I struggled to find where it was coming from. I yanked myself up, to a standing position easily. But it wasn't me. I hadn't controlled myself because if I could, I would still be on the floor, struggling to move through the blurry thoughts in my head.

I was facing Parmen, whose hands were up like a zombie, like he was holding an invisible puppet. A smiled was on his face, but not like the one before. It was malicious, teasing, like he was controlling me, and then it hit me.

He was.

He was telekinetic, how stupid could I be for that to hit me now?

I glanced at Spock, which was standing nearby. Judging by his posture, which was extremely rigid and forced, he was being held in place by Parmen. His eyes met mine, calm and controlled, but I could see emotion- concern, worry, and the stress to concoct a plan quickly- swimming beneath the surface of his eyes.

"Stella, are you alright?" His voice sounded restricted, as if he had to force his voice through a closed passage. I nodded slightly, despite the buzzed feeling in my head as I felt myself losing blood slowly.

Spock turned to face Parmen slowly.

"You betrayed us." he said calmly but tight but Parmen didn't react, "Release us now and Star Fleet can arrange a peaceful negotiation."

Parmen didn't release us, but he did step closer, his head cocked at an angle.

"Now why, why would I do that?"

The next moment, blackness filled my vision, and I hit the ground once again.

I cringed as the light filled my eyes and my head ache returned. I could vaguely hear a buzz of chatter and feel a cool hard surface beneath me. A harsh whisper yanked me from my drowsy state.

"Stella!" I heard the captain's voice in a low, rushed whisper, "Stella, wake up!"

I sat up slowly and saw Kirk, wearing an orange...toga? He had an olive leave crown atop his blonde hair, and his icy blue eyes sparkled less than usual. worry was pulled across his face, and his eyes were glancing around nervously before settling on me.

"Stella, I need you to snap out of it!"

I nodded quickly and he let out a sigh. His hands were in cuffs behind his back, and I could see a tiny cut on his upper cheek bone. He was sitting on the floor next to me, in a disheveled position. The sound of several people talking was slightly overwhelming.

"They have us here, in front of an audience, and they are planning something.", he explained in a quick breath, and I nodded to show him I understood, "Spock and Bones are over there, and Parmen and Sarila are sitting over there. Spock is probably thinking of something right now, so stay-"

I watched in horror as he was thrown across the room in a similar fashion as I before. He landed on the opposite side of the room, and I stood shell shocked as I realized what he meant by audience. A small audience, but enough to cause me to hyperventilate. Men and women, all wearing togas and olive crowns and eating like they were seeing a play or at a sports event. Some were looking at Kirk, like he was the main event of a show that could be laugh at or clapped for. Others were laughing with each other or talking merrily. I would have been extremely angry if not for the fact I was petrified.

"Damnit Stella, clear your head. You got to focus!"

A southern voice took me once again out of my reverie. I whipped around to see Bones, also wearing that ridiculous toga, sitting near me with his hands in shackles. Spock was nearby, his eyes closed. A smile barely poked at my lips when I realized he was wearing a dark blue toga, his chest exposed slightly and an olive leaf crown decorating his dark hair. It was comical to see such a professional man look like he did. However, his normally pristine put together mien was not disheveled and off. He was clearly trying to think, but that was hard. The small room was buzzing with chatter and it was hot and my head was swimming and foggy.

I saw Bones' eyes, filled with worry for the captain as he struggled to stand.

Parmen's voice broke through the chatter and fogginess.

"Welcome, Welcome! Welcome to today's main event!"

I frowned. Were we a show to all of them? Just an event to watch as they ate popcorn like at a theater?

"Please, give a round of applause for our actors and actress in our show!"

He gesture widely to us, and Bones growled. He was more irritated than usual. Scratch that, he was extremely tick off.

"Damnit Spock, got a plan?"

Spock opened his eyes calmly, but said nothing.

"I am currently trying to calculate the odds of them letting us go free or killing us. I cannot devise a suitable plan in the current situation."

Spock looked at me, and then my forehead.

"Lieutenant, you are injured. Are you feeling alright?"

I was not in the mood to try and figure out what emotion had ghosted his face for a moment before he disguised it. I reached up to touch my forehead, feeling the blood that had dried around the wound.

I nodded quickly, glancing down to see if I was injured anywhere else. I cringed inwardly as I took in my...outfit. It was similar to a toga, but I was grateful it fully covered my chest. At least they were kind enough to allow me some of my dignity. My disgust for these people was growing. The outfit was a bit short for my liking, a couple inches shy of my knee. It was a dark purple, with black and silver stitching in it. I saw no more cuts and bruises on my body, so I resumed trying to figure out what was going on.

Parmen raised his hands, and simultaneously, the shackles that bound Bones', Spock's, and Jim's hands fell to the ground. Kirk, still on the opposite side of the room, looked like he was about to strangle whoever came near him. He struggled to keep from punching Parmen, which I also craved to do.

Bones stood up, before offering a hand to me. He pulled me to my feet and steadied me.

"Okay, it looks like we're in a bit of trouble." he muttered sarcastically, and I nodded in agreement. Spock stood up, causing the crowd to erupt into a cheer as we had all stood up. I twitched nervously next to Bones. He seemed more grumpy than usual, but I could see he was nervous. He didn't know what to do.

"Go ahead, Captain. Join your friends and prepare for a splendid show!" Parmen clapped loudly and reclaimed his large throne, with Sarila sitting on the arm as I had seen her do several times. She grinned widely at me, and I fought the urge to slap her face. Her perfect demeanor I had seen in her before had vanished. I felt like I was being constrained by invisible chains and binds.

Kirk jogged over to us, trying to ignore the cheers he heard behind him. His voice was a low whisper.

"Jim, damnit, there treating us like animals! What are we going to do?" Bones growled, and Spock frowned ever so slightly.

"Doctor, it would be wise to remain calm." Spock advised. I nodded in agreement, but no one seemed to notice.

"Okay, I don't think they want to kill us. But we have to think of a plan, quick." Jim's icy eyes were closed in thought, and I didn't have time to think before we were yanked away from Spock and Bones.

What was with these people, can't they just tell us what to do instead of pulling us apart like rag dolls?

I was forced into a military like position, legs and arms straight and my head cocked higher than usual. Kirk was in a similar form, and I heard him struggled to break the control.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, there shall be two teams facing off today! But there is a different set of rules!" Parmen face a confused crowd. Obviously they didn't know as much as we did. I was just curious about what the rules usually were. And what game they applied to. Parmen continued.

"There shall be no weapons being used today!", the crowd made a collective sound of disappointment, "but there shall be an interesting brawl indeed!" Parmen turned to face Kirk and I.

"Team one! Captain Kirk and Stella!"

Against my will, my hand slipped into Kirk's and was raised above our heads. I could feel my heart begin to beat almost painfully in nervousness, and I fought hard to keep my head clear so I could think. But it was becoming increasingly hard to do.

Parmen then turned to Spock and Bone's, and they performed a similar gesture. I became angrier and angrier as they clapped. We were just entertainment! Like they didn't even see us actual people! I was struggling between what to feel, nervousness, anxiety, anger, fear. They were jumbled up in a ball, confusing me.

"Let the fight," This time it was Sarila's voice, a low sultry voice dripping with and over sweet tone, "Begin!"

I didn't have even a second to process what that mean when Spock stepped forward, clearly without his control. His jaw was clenched, and soon he was standing about a foot away from the captain and I.

"Captain, I do not have control over my body. I do not know if-"

Spock was cut off by his fist connecting with Jim's face. I covered my mouth in horror as he wrestled Kirk to the ground. Jim struggled against his grip as I looked on in petrified. I immediately crouched down and tried to wrestle between them.

Spock grunted as he continued to struggle against Jim.

"Stella, I advise you to get away." His voice was strained as he wrestled Jim. "I cannot control myself and I do not wish to hurt you."

I shook my head, ignoring Spock's order. I was about to pull Spock away when Kirk stopped me.

"I can handle this Stella. Just,"

He grabbed Spock's shoulder, "just stay as far away from us as possible!"

I relented, standing up and backing away. I was helpless, I couldn't do anything. As Spock and Jim continued wrestle against each other, I looked to McCoy, who met my gaze.

I ran over to him, but he held his hand up.

"Stella, wait, don't-!" His fist connected with my face, right below my eye. I staggered backwards, almost falling but managed to steady myself before a wave of nausea hit me.

My face pulsed and I could already feel it swelling. I tried to fight off the pain but it was overwhelming, and I saw spots fly across my vision.

McCoy's face was angry, but not at me. He was clearly mad at Parmen, for making him do that, and himself, for not being strong enough to stop.

"Damnit, Stella, I can't control it!" His brown eyes were full of anger and I shook my head. The real worry came from when I turned around to see Spock in front of me, and a very unconscious Jim a few feet away, slumped against the wall. I swallowed.

"And Stella is the last remaining member of her team! Who shall she face off against?" Parmen laughed gleefully as the crowd cheered. McCoy growled, his voice gaining volume as he spoke.

"Spock, we have to do something. Or Stella is going to get-!"

Okay, I'm going to take a quick second to explain just how pissed I was for them interrupting us every single damn sentence.

McCoy landed with a sickening crash on the ground.

"Doctor McCoy!" Spock called out, still looking strained from the unwelcomed control on his body. I felt my body shake, with fear or nervousness, I had no idea. Doctor McCoy didn't move, and I felt my heart stop, freezing my blood. I wanted to speak out, call to him, but nothing came out. I opened my mouth to speak, but as usual, it was empty. I turned around to Spock and signed as quickly as I could.

Is he alright? He can't be dead, please he's alive?

My signing was sloppy and hard to read, and I was sure Spock wouldn't be able to read what motions my hand had made.

Spock watched. He seemed to have understood my hands, for he nodded slowly, his eyes going behind me and looking at Bones. I did the same and the tension dissipated when I saw his tanned hand twitch and his fingers clench slightly. I exhale loudly, relief flooding through me. He wasn't dead, he wasn't dead. I closed my eyes for a moment.

"Whoops, it seems like I was a bit too playful with our competitors!" Parmen laughed, and the crowd joined in. He had done this. I fisted my palm, suddenly so infuriated I thought I would lose control and rip the eye brows off his smug face.

"Lieutenant, remain calm."

I heard Spock chide, his sooth voice like an ice cube for my thoughts. But it didn't do a lot, for I still felt rage and fear sit beneath the surface of my thoughts.

Parmen turn to face Spock and I.

"Down to the final two, are we? This is the most fun of all, isn't it?"

The crowd erupted into a cheer, deafening almost for such a small bank of people. I swallowed again. Spock was strong. Maybe they would let him be easier with me? Like, not beat me to a pulp or knock me out like he had to Jim? Spock glared at Parmen, his dark eyes dangerous.

Spock was suddenly thrown towards me like a rag doll, landing on me like a ton of bricks. He let out a grunt of pain as our heads bounced against each other, pain once again erupting in my forehead.

His chest was pushed against mine, and I swallowed thickly. He was straddling me forcefully, and I writhed under him, discomfort from my previous injuries surfacing in an explosion of dizzying pain. I opened my mouth to speak again, but nothing came out. His normally straight bangs were ruffled and his dirt was smudged on his lower cheek.

"I am sorry Lieutenant, but I cannot control my body's actions." His eyes met mine and I spied the cut above his lips. He seemed to wince as the pressure between our bodies increased. I closed my eyes tightly, trying not to hyperventilate.

I was stuck between a concrete floor and my first commander. And I couldn't decide which hurt more, my forehead or my cheek. It was an awkward situation, probably the most awkward one I had been in since I had walked in on Gaila and a fellow crew doing things I wish I could purge from my mine with bleach.

Suddenly, the gap between our faces lessened decreased a centimeter, and I realized how hard Spock was fighting against Parmen's telekinesis.

"Lieutenant, I do not know how much longer I can fight against his ability. You must understand, I cannot control my body." He rasped, his struggling voice centimeters away from me.

I nodded the barest bit, my eyes widening as he got closer, close enough for me to feel his panting breath on my cheek. I felt him, his chest against mine, his legs holding mine between him, his mouth so close it was like I could steal his words and make them come from my own lips.

For the thousandth time that day, I had no idea what was happening. I was torn away from Spock, or rather, he was torn from me, and the sound of phasers being shot filled my pounding head. Screaming, screaming everywhere, from all different directions that bounced around my skull.

I was yanked up by a rough arm, pulling me to my weak feet and tugging me. It was almost like an out of body experience, except I was in my body, trapped in it. I remembered falling back to the ground, struggling to stand, and a firm hand still guiding me. Shortly after the gold flashes filled my vision, the whole world shut off like a light bulb being shot by a gun.

* * *

**Okay so there you have it! The next chapter. I really hope you enjoyed it, and the change of pace with some action. There will be more action and fighting in the future, so just wait if your into that stuff. Please review and rate, seriously, I need the feed back. As an aspiring writer, the feed back would be the best thing in the world for me right now! Especially if you aren't happy with the way I am writing the characters. I really hope I am portraying them in the right way.**

**If you don't know where the last line (about shooting the light bulb with a gun) it was from a sketch that cracked me up. **

**Thanks so much!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Here is the next chapter! I don't think I can update as often anymore, because I have really big and important tests coming up. But I will try to update at least once or twice a week, hopefully more. Thanks so much for reading, I hope you enjoy it so far. A lot of development is happening in this chapter, especially with Stella. I mean it. I'm not just saying that.**

**I don't own Star Trek, I only own Stella, my OC.**

* * *

When I woke up, the shiny white ceiling with bright lights told me I was in med bay. I felt my body vaguely, hooked up to several tubes that made me nauseous just to feel. In my dizzy haze, I was barely aware that my head ached, a throbbing that demanded to be felt. I groaned weakly before slipping back under, back into unconsciousness.

When I woke up for the second time, the nauseousness had subsided slightly and the ache in my head was almost gone. The pristine glassy whiteness of the med bay glared into my eyes, uncomfortably straining them. I swallowed thickly, trying to dampen my parched throat.

"Morning, Sunshine."

I smiled despite the pain at the southern drawl, instantly relieved by Bone's voice.

Doctor McCoy stood next to the bio bed, typing on his PADD and checking the screen next to my bed. I eyed the metal splint on his finger. A minute passed before he spoke again.

"A concussion. Minor bruises. A particular nasty black and blue on your abdomen. That's the worst of it.", he read out from the monitor.

I could feel the ache in my stomach as soon as he mentioned it, so I closed my eyes and listened to the hum of the medical machinery. When I opened them again, Doctor McCoy had crossed the room.

"You can be discharged tomorrow, in case you were wondering."

I frowned. My bruises would not impede my ability to work, and the concussion would be old news by tonight. Sometimes I thought he wanted to keep me here just to torture me.

I sighed deeply before the realization dawned over me, eclipsing the dreadful fact that I couldn't get back to work sooner than he would let me.

I couldn't speak.

First was disappointment, then anger, and then more disappointment.

I could have been angry at Kirk, or Parmen, or my sister or the world. But I wasn't. I felt frustration towards myself, for being so trusting and sensitive and pathetic. I leaned my head back and held back the tears that threatened to appear in my eyes, pushing the lump in my throat down. I sighed quietly but deeply, trying to mold the feeling into a more tolerable one that I could deal with once my body had been physically repaired. But clearly that wasn't going to happen.

The tears would have fallen if Kirk didn't walk in at that moment, Spock trailing behind him briskly.

"Hey, there's my favorite lieutenant on the ship!" He said flirtatiously with a hint of glee. I felt my lips perk up, even though the cloudy sadness I was currently feeling.

"Good morning Lieutenant. It is good to see you are faring well." I looked at Spock and nodded. The cut above his lip was almost gone, and he had regained his perfect mien and put together self. His eyes were placid, brown pools without a ripple. Kirk answered my question that was hanging in my head.

"I bet your wondering what happened?" Kirk glanced at Bones, who was frowning.

"She just woke up Jim. Don't get her too riled up." The doctor warned.

Jim smiled and shrugged.

"I do have that effect on women.", he quipped.

Doctor McCoy scowled and I just shook my head. I wasn't interesting in Jim's womanizing side at the current moment. I wanted to know what had happened.

He paused and took a deep breath before talking, getting rid of his comical self and becoming more serious.

"When Spock had knocked me out, I fell and the ground hit my ear piece, which I had been using to communicate with the Enterprise. Scotty was unable to beam us back beforehand because in the building we were in. It seems telekinesis wasn't the only advancements they had. The underground palace had special properties, a shield, preventing anyone from being beamed in or out of it."

I nodded slowly, trying to take everything in. I didn't know Jim was wearing an earpiece- or that he had been communicating with Scotty. More questions erupted in my mind. What happened to Parmen? Sarila? How were we able to get back?

He continued.

"Well, as I said, when Spock got me on the ground, it damaged my earpiece but sent a distress signal to the Enterprise, something all communication devices are supposed to do if they get destroyed in battle. That way, anybody who's alone and in a situation, we can help them before they get hurt."

I could hear the last words that he probably wanted to say. Hurt, or worse, killed.

"Scotty was able to lock onto our signals. But as I said before, we couldn't just beam out. So he beamed people down, outside the entrance of the building we entered."

I absorbed the information and blinked slowly. So everyone was alright. And I was without a voice. But everybody else was alright. I let out a small sigh of relief, but still was racked with a heavy feeling. I swallowed before signing to Spock, still curious as to how we were able to escape. The tubes prevented me from being to flexible with my arms, but I managed.

_What happened after that?_

He explained this time.

"After several of our security officers ran into the room, it was chaotic. You had fallen unconscious, so I carried you until the original landing party was beamed up back to the ship. The second group of officers followed suit. There were no casualties."

I nodded before looking to Doctor McCoy and signing. Spock translated what I signed verbally.

"She wishes to be informed if she could be allowed to leave med bay sooner than you have permitted."

Doctor McCoy shook his head, and I inwardly scowled.

"She isn't going anywhere until that concussion of hers is taken care of. You'll be out in less than 24 hours."

I wanted to cross my arms but seeing as all the tubes in my arm prevented it, I settled for a pout instead. Jim smirked.

"Just can't wait to get back to work, can you?"

I shrugged, smiling slightly.

Yes, it was nice to have a short break, and rest up. But after everything that had happened, well, I wanted to throw myself into my work and never crawl out of it. Just research and fall into the familiar rhythm I was stuck in for the past few years.

* * *

"Please write this down for me Stella."

I began to scribble down letters and numbers as Spock read them aloud. The long string of code I assumed was a formula for a new plant soil took up the entire pad of paper as he listed them, letters and numbers alike tumbling off his tongue.

After another few minutes of working in relative silence, he put down his tools and looked at me. I glanced at the clock, narrowing my eyes. We still had another hour before it was time to pack up and be done. His eyes seemed more penetrating now than they had before.

"Stella, I must apologize for the recent events regarding the landing on Platonia. Seeing as I was not control of my body, I hope you can be more understanding of what has happened between us."

I stood still, shell shocked by what he had just said. I quickly brushed a stray tendril of hair out of my face before finally looking at his eyes. But as soon as they met his, small picture like memories came back.

_His body pressed against mine._

_Dirt smudging his lower cheek._

_His lips centimeters from my own._

_His dark eyes so deep and lost in thought that I felt I would drown looking into them._

I could feel myself flush and immediately shoved the thoughts away, burying them below the current situation. It was a day I didn't like to think about, even as so recent.

I shook my head quickly, as Spock looked on with vague curiosity and amusement. I wanted to speak, tell him not to be sorry, and that it wasn't his fault. All the aggravation, the sadness, the regret that I had been feeling for a long time came rushing through me, an overwhelming sensation that pulsed through my body. I didn't know what triggered the onslaught of emotions that was like a balloon popping but it happened. All the hate that was directed at myself was projected tenfold, and I had the desire, the urge to speak again. The need say things and laugh and sing.

The need to _talk._

He kept his eyes on me as my mouth opened, then closed, and then resumed to open again. I tried to forced words out.

My lips moved as if into a silent letter that would refuse to be spoken. Then he seemed to finally realize, his eyes widening a bit.

My eye brows lowered in frustration, my eyes blinking slowly with sudden exhaustion but I forced them open with determination.

"S..."

I froze as the sound slipped off my tongue, trying to form what I wanted to say. It was so _hard_, just to get one damn word off my tongue. But a bit of happiness and excitement began to churn in my stomach, tiny butterflies fluttering around in my gut.

Spock looked on, his eye brows furrowed. He couldn't help me, but what was he supposed to do? But I didn't want his help anyway, so I licked my lips and blinked hard for a moment.

I swallowed and tried again, my hair messily surrounding my face as I continued to form the word.

"Sp...sp..." I wanted to growl at how difficult this was, even though it was an everyday task for most people. Spock's eyes widened a fraction, telling me he was surprised, for a Vulcan at least. The butterflies were morphing into birds.

I continued to wrestle with the first sound, reaching up to my throat to feel the vibrations with my hand.

Suddenly, surprising me greatly, he reached and grabbed my clothed wrist, careful not to touch skin to skin.

My own eyes widened in surprise as he led my glove-covered hand to his own throat, and spoke his name.

"Spock.", he said firmly, so I could feel the vibrations it made when he said it. I shut my eyes and focused on my voice, not the man in front of me. I felt his strong throat under my fingers, the vibrations he made when he said his name. The only thing separating me from his skin was the thin glove I wore.

"Sp...spo..." I squeezed my eyes again before he repeated his name again articulately, raising an eyebrow when I had almost sounded his name.

"Spo...Spock."

My eyes fluttered open in surprise as he released my wrist and I smiled widely.

"Spock, Spock, Spock!" I said his name excitedly, not caring if it was his name or if he was irritated by the rising volume of my voice.

_My_ voice.

I bounced on my toes, practically jumping. He stared on, mildly amused but mostly surprised. I had finally gotten my voice back. No more signing! No more nodding! I had found my voice! I kept repeating the words in my head, over and over, as if to reaffirm it was really happening.

Once I had calmed down ever so slightly (but it wasn't really much, I was still radiating off giddiness), I turned to Spock, still hopping slightly. I shut my eyes again as he cocked his head. I gathered up all the confidence I thought I had in me, and took a deep breath.

"T...thank...y-you." I stuttered slowly, and opened my eyes to meet his when I got the words out. Amusement was shining in his dark eyes, a smirk painting his lips ever so slightly.

"Your gratitude is unnecessary but appreciated. This is an important accomplishment for you."

I heard the slight hint of happiness in his voice, for me. He was glad I had found what I most wanted, or so it seemed. That, or he was just showing an uncharacteristic amount of emotion for the day. I turned away from him, glancing around the room.

Tears pricked my eyes as I began to walk around the lab, trying to name the tools and specimens and about everything else my eyes landed upon. He watched me carefully as I would sometimes pronounce the words incorrectly but smile anyway. I was talking, and frankly I didn't give a damn if I was stuttering or saying words wrong. I could be muttering gibberish for all who cared.

"Seeing as this is an important discovery, I see it fit for me to provide speech lessons for you, along with our normal lab sessions."

I turned to him. Speech lessons? Just for me? I blinked in surprise.

"R-really?" I slowly whispered, not really sure he had heard, but he nodded.

"Of course. I am your mentor, and it is only logical for me to teach you as much as possible."

I smiled brightly, clasping my hands together gleefully as I skipped to him and wrapped my arms around him, not caring if he was uncomfortable. My head only reached his upper chest, my arms stretching around his long torso as my head rested against him, His warmth was pleasant, and it only made my happiness spread through out my body and make my head buzz like I was drunk. I was expressing my gratitude, and he seemed to only falter for a few seconds before returning the embrace slowly, one head landing on my upper back and the other a bit lower. He didn't pull me in close but he didn't push me away either. He simply held me as I held him, and his breath brushed against the top of my head as I smiled into his body. It was awkward from his half, but I didn't mind.

I had my voice back.

* * *

**You can practically _feel _the fluff, but don't worry, more action awaits!**

**Stella has finally gotten her voice back, so the issue of her sister and her missing voice will soon be a thing of the past. I hope you like the developments so far. Please tell me if anyone (especially Spock) seems out of character. I promise Spock won't immediately fall in love with Stella but he is starting to develop feelings for ****more than just a colleague or senior officer. **

**So no one our except for two people have reviewed my story. As a new writer, and someone who wants to pursue it as a career, I would love to read your reviews or comments. Any suggestions could also be messaged to me.**

**Please review and rate! Thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

**So here is the next chapter! Expect weekly updates but probably no more than once or twice a week. I have a few more chapters planned, and soon I will have more time to write more and finish up the story and start some new fics! Please review, I can't tell you how much I spazz out when someone reviews, follows, or favorites my story! It's a great self-esteem booster and it makes me want to write more, haha don't kill me for saying that. Please enjoy this chapter, and don't kill me for it because it was really hard to make this one detailed. It's obviously shorter than my past chapters and I will try to keep them longer. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Microscope."

"Microscope."

"Cellular."

"Cellular."

"Frequency."

"Fre...frequency."

Spock nodded and I smiled brightly. Our past two weeks had been full of wonderful achievements, in my opinion. Aside from our regular lab time, we spent an additional hour doing speech therapy. I saw Spock look on as if amused, as I continued to smile happily.

"I believe our sessions have made quite an impact on your speech, Stella."

Since I had first found my voice again, I immediately ran to Uhura's quarters after saying goodbye to Spock. I excitedly rang the bell in a hyperactive manner, and she answered the door, frightened.

"What's wrong? Stella, what happened?"

I had smiled widely before speaking.

"Nothing, Nyota. Nothing at all!"

The look on her face was priceless. She had been frozen before enveloping me in a tight hug, giving me only a few spare moments to see the bright smiled that adorned her gorgeous features.

"You...just talked!" She said excitedly, and I saw some crew members turn towards us and stare in the corner of my eye, surprised by the scene.

"Yes!" I replied, still buzzing from what was going on. It was a lot to take in, and I was still questioning what had happened, even as I jogged to see Sulu while he ate in the mess during his break. He was casually eating, not noticing I was there until I took the vacant seat next to him.

"Hey Stella. What's up?" He asked nonchalantly as he took a sip of his tea, "Why so excited?"

I was bouncing in my seat, even as I spoke.

"Thank you for the flowers."

He nearly dropped his fork before he smiled even wider than I had.

"Stella!" He said gleefully as I wrung my hands in excitement, "this is great! What...how?" He asked, and I stopped buzzing. Then I began to actually think about what had occurred back at the lab.

How had I gotten my voice back? I had just been in the lab with Spock, studying the specimens as we always had before, when he began to apologize. I had felt the need; the urge to stop him from saying sorry. But how was that possible? I had felt the wanting before, but I had never actually talked before. No ideas popped into my head as I thought, and I was left puzzled.

I had interrupted Spock and surprised myself in the process, but why? How? It hurt my brain just to think about the bewildering paradox of questions and silly theories to pair with them.

I broke from my thoughts of that morning and looked at Spock.

"And it's all thanks to you, Spock."

I stood up and shrugged off my lab coat, and he followed suit.

"Your gratitude is unnecessary, however appreciated." He said coolly, glancing down at me as we hung out coats up.

Man, he really was more intimidating, seeing as he seemed about a foot taller than I.

I was about to pull off my goggles when my stomach growled.

My face tinged pink and I smiled sheepishly.

"I guess that's my cue to go eat dinner.", I wrung my hands as I quickly slid away from him and undid my goggles.

I began to pack up my lab supplies and cleaned off the last of our utensils.

"Perhaps you would let me join you, seeing as I have not eaten as well. We may discuss what we will be researching next regarding our specimen."

I paused. Was he asking me to eat dinner with him? I momentarily stopped what I was doing and looked at him.

"Of course, if you haven't eaten yet." I stuttered quietly, thanking whatever deity was out there that kept me from stuttering. He nodded curtly before going to his own lab station and shuffling his papers and packing up his tools.

When we had both finished, we headed to the mess. The walk was silent besides the clacking of our shoes on the metallic floor echoing off the ships interior walls. The halls were practically empty besides a few crew members idly heading off to bed, seeing as it was getting late into the evening.

The mess hall was just as empty and quiet, and by the time I had replicated an apple and a cup of tea (yes, by voice, for the first time!) the whole cafeteria was vacant apart from Spock and I.

I took a seat across from him and saw he had gotten soup, a dark looking liquid with steam floating off of it. It smelt lovely, but the aromatic scent it produced was nothing familiar to my nose. My best guess was that it was a Vulcan meal, one he had replicated for the sake of his vegan appetite. I took a bite of my apple, savoring the sweetness of the white flesh and the bitterness of the dark red exterior. After eating in silence for a minute or two, he spoke up.

"You are aware of the developments in our research, correct?"

I nodded slowly.

Where was he going with a conversation starter like that? The plant from Platonia we had been studying in depth had been showing startling reactions, different from any native terran plant.

"It seems our first hypotheses that the plant would react similarly to a terran plant was incorrect. When exposed to certain radioactive chemicals, the plant does not wither or die, like it was expected to.", he explained, and I nodded. I already knew this, though. We had both been taken back by the surprising reactions the plant had. It didn't die- it blossomed, flourished with the elements it had been exposed to. Lethal elements.

He eyed my critically before continuing.

"With this new discovery, I find it necessary to inform you of the toxic releases that the flowering plant can excrete."

I blinked apprehensively. I was not aware it released a toxic gas; he must have made the discovery on his own.

"When did you find that out?" I asked slowly, wanting an answer.

"While you were resting previously. When I discovered the poison I did not wish to cause you panic while you were recuperating."

He said one eye brow quirked up half a centimeter. I sighed.

"You didn't have to do that. I'm tougher than I look you know."

I smiled and took another bite of my apple. His mouth didn't move but his eyes seemed to smile for him.

"Regardless, the poison probably will not have any fatal effects. However, it may hormonal or chemical imbalance to the body, very similar to the Andorian cactus toxin you were exposed to." He added as I sipped my tea thoughtfully.

I was not in the mood for another bed ridden week in the dreaded med bay. There was nothing to do and Christine could only keep me entertained for sparse minutes during the day. I downed the rest of my tea and placed the metal cup down carefully.

"So how do we go about experimenting on it?" I asked, and he nodded as if he were expecting me to ask that.

"The chemical is skin borne, but it will not affect me as severely as it would you. Technically, it should not be able to harm a Vulcan at all." He gave me a moment to piece together what he meant. His half human heritage left him vulnerable to a sickness that his chosen race protected him from. He continued.

"Presently, I do not have any solution apart from wearing protective gloves and being careful to no gets exposed to the poison." He said.

I took bite of the apple and nodded.

"I will try to be more cautious of it."

Seeing as we were both done without meals, I stood up. He followed suit, rising to his full height inches above me.

"It is getting late. We should return to our quarters." He stated simply.

"Yes, I supposed we should."

I threw out my cup and half eaten apple before making my way to the door.

"May I escort you to your room, seeing as it is in the same corridor as my own?" I heard Spock say, and I froze.

Escort me. Back to my room? At this late hour? He was probably tired, and I didn't want to be a nuisance. I did enjoy his company though, probably more than I should as his junior colleague. But he had a calming affect on the lab we worked in, and always managed to soothe any frayed nerves I had. Despite my drowsiness from the days events, I chose the more appropriate decision that hovered in the back of my mind.

"Spock, it's not necessary, it's really late." I said quickly, wanted to dash to the door before changing my mind and agreeing to let him walk me to my quarters. I managed to stay in place however, by the sheer dignity I had and not wanting to cripple it by sprinting away from a commanding officer.

He raised an eyebrow at my quick response.

"It is not a hindrance. As I said, your quarters are in the same corridor as my own."

I nodded slowly, giving in and reassuring myself it was rude and fruitless to argue with him.

The hall way was filled with the tapping of our shoes on the floor and my soft breathing that wasn't audible but was still apparent to me in the silent hall. The corridor was practically empty, probably because it was so late. We walked silently until we reached my door.

I stopped and turn on my heel to face him.

"Thank you Spock. Good night."

I was about to turn around and punch the code in for my door when he frowned. Well, it was just a small downward tug at his lips, but still. I cocked my head.

"Are you alright Spock?"

I suddenly felt squirmish under his analyzing gaze. His brown eyes seemed even more penetrating and his tall frame seemed to overshadow my own more than usual.

My breath hitched in my throat as his hand reached up and went for my forehead. I felt his long fingers streak above my eyebrows, sweeping a few tendrils of hair that escaped my bun behind my ear. I swallowed thickly.

"Commander..." I mumbled slowly, and his fazed eyes snapped back to attention. It seemed to remind him of his rank and my own. And how awkward the situation was as well as unprofessional.

What the hell?

He pulled his hand back quickly before standing up slightly straighter and shuffling back.

"I should be returning to my quarters. Good night Stella." He said rather curtly. I nodded slowly and watched as he walked down the hallway swiftly. I was left stunned as I entered the door code and collapsed onto my bed, lulled to sleep by the buzzing of the ship.

* * *

Spock walked quickly down the ship's halls, his thoughts racing.

Why had he done that? The urge, to reach up and shift a dark strand of brown hair back into place in her normally tight bun had seemed so important and necessary at that moment, but even he would not show such unprofessional-ism for an urge. He had never felt such thing, to want to fix something on someone else, even in such a minute way. Whether it be a wrinkled uniform or an untied shoe lace; never the need to fix a strand of hair that had escaped it's designated spot.

His mind was still warmed with confused thoughts, even as he prepared for his evening meditation. He hadn't crossed any boundaries or lines. But it was clear she was uncomfortable with him being so near to her. He noticed it, the way she seemed to shrink under his gaze or when she shuffled nervously when he was too close. His towering stature and calculating eyes tended to do that to lower ranking crew members, whether or not he meant to have the effect on people. It was just the way he looked, the atmosphere he brought to the room when he walked through the door. But why did it bother him that _she_ saw him that way?

He closed his eyes calmly, falling into meditation as he calmed his windy thoughts. He tried to push the thoughts of confusion and anxiousness away, replacing them with waves of control and serenity that would keep his thoughts from straying into unmarked territory.

* * *

**And speaking of unmarked territory, I will try and stay away from to much fluff that makes the story sappy and unreadable. I will be adding more action soon, but I thought this but of romance would be nice for everyone reading, seeing as it's February! Spock's not about to fall head over heels for Stella bad the feelings are emerging... and so is the action, muahahaha. Thanks for reading, and I will hopefully update by next week! **


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you guys so much for 1,000 views! I am so happy you guys decided to stick with my story, like I said, as a writer I become ecstatic when people read, review and favorite my story. Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

It was Sunday.

I smiled into my pillow. My shift didn't start until noon, so I had time to rest. It was always nice, a break from waking up so early in the morning. I was able to drift back asleep for another hour before I finally decided to take my lazy bum out of my bed. The clock read 10 a.m., and I took my time to get dressed after a quick but relaxing shower. I was just about to leave for the mess when I heard a knock on my door. I skipped to the door, an obvious effect of my uplifted mood, and opened it quickly. I was greeted by Sulu's smiling face. His shirt was neat and a gold color, clearly he had a shift on the bridge soon.

"Good morning Stella. I hope I didn't wake you up." He said, and I shook my head.

"No, no, I was up for a bit. What brings you to my humble quarters?"

He chuckled before clasping his hands in front of him as if he couldn't contain his excitement. The made my curiosity rise, and his next words almost killed me with the suspense.

"I have a surprise."

I eyed the Asian man carefully, but was quickly interrupted by him grabbing my arm and lightly pulling it down the hall way. I gasped and clumsily tried to keep up with his tugging body.

"Sulu!" I rasped, "where are we going?" He stopped pulling me and slowed down to a quick walk.

"You'll see."

And it was definitely a surprise. He led me down to the ships botany room, which I was only allowed to enter a scarce amount of times. There were no windows, but there were plenty of lights that were varying in intensity over different plants and shrubs. Some required an intense amount of light, others barely required any. Some needed different amounts throughout the day, and that's what made it so hard to care for; they needed to be checked constantly and carefully to make sure the plant was healthy.

I stared wide eyed at the space in front of me. Several plants, terran and extraterrestrial were hung on the ceiling, placed on tables or climbing up walls. Colors ranging from emerald green to scarlet red to a dark blue I couldn't even begin to describe. I know Sulu and some other crew members had put a lot of effort into growing these plants, especially because we were in space and so many different malfunctions that could occur on the ship unexpectedly. But all his efforts payed off. It was certainly a sight to see.

Once I had gotten used to the beauty of the room, I ran to Sulu and wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug. He made a disgruntled sound before laughing and patting my head like a kid.

"Thanks Sulu. You're the best friend ever!" I giggled and continued to examine all the different plants around the room. I was truly grateful fro him bringing me here; I wasn't really supposed to go down here, even though I was one of the botanists. However, I was supposed to study them though a microscope, not care for them up close. Only a small amount of people were allowed in the room everyday. Several of the plants that were not from Earth could only handle a small amount of carbon dioxide everyday, so crew members had to wear masks and special equipment to not harm the plants.

I thanked him over and over again, but he shook his head.

"What did I do? I just brought you here."

I smiled up at him.

"And I thank you for that. It's wonderful."

The room was packed with various species, from Vulcan orchids to terran roses to a certain type of vine that only grows in Klingon territory. That only proved how much effort was put into expanding the number of species in the collection of flora.

I was snapped out of my plant examining reverie when I looked at the clock.

11:36

I turned to Sulu. I didn't want to leave, I could spend all day in that room, just lounging around and being surrounded by the beautiful plants. But duty calls, and telling Commander Spock I was late because of my love for plants would probably irritate him to a point where it showed on his face.

"It's almost time for my shift. Thank you so much!" I thanked him again, slinging my arm around his shoulder as we walked out.

"I have my shift soon anyway. And it was my pleasure. It feels like we hardly spend any more time together."

I nodded in agreement. Between my increasing hours at the lab and my sessions with Commander Spock, I had minimal time to go to the rec room or chat with other crew members.

"The captain is hosting one of his ship bar nights soon, you should go. Uhura's going too." He said as we exited the room. I shrugged, not too hyped on going to one of those again.

"Maybe. But only if I'm in the mood to get hit on by a drunk captain."

He laughed at that, and we continued down the hall.

"But seriously Stell. You'd brighten the room with your dazzling smile." He joked lightly.

I felt by face tinged pink before I flashed him a wide, almost comical smile. He laughed but then stopped abruptly. I gave him a weird look before seeing what he was looking at. Commander Spock stood in front of us, his hands clasped behind his back as I always saw them. I removed my hand quickly from Sulu's shoulder, standing up straighter and showing a small smile at the Vulcan. It was embarrassing to be caught in such an unprofessional manner, and I hoped Sulu wasn't as red faced as I was.

"Good morning Commander Spock." I said quickly, and Sulu stood up straight as well. Spock simply tilted his head down.

"Good morning Lieutenant Anderson, Sulu."

Sulu nodded before smiling at me.

"I should head to my shift. Good day Commander."

Spock nodded again before Sulu took off. I watched him swiftly walk down the hallway before turning a corner and disappearing.

I smooth a strand behind my ear hastily, trying to appear more professional tan I felt. I glanced up at Spock. He was eyeing me carefully.

"Is it correct to assume you are heading to the lab?" He asked and I nodded.

"Yes, Commander. Are you as well?"

He didn't say anything, but simply nodded. Without speaking a word we both fell into step as we walked down the hall. After a few minutes he broke the silence.

"You and Lieutenant Sulu seem to be close acquaintances."

I paused slightly, trying to analyze what he meant. Was he...jealous? No. Vulcan's don't feel jealousy. I nodded after a moment.

"Yes. I've known him since I was assigned to the ship. We have been close ever since."

He nodded and silence consumed us again.

"Do you have a peculiar reason for asking, Commander?" I asked, but I immediately regretted it. Was it incorrect for me to think him jealous? Probably. He glanced down at me with a slightly quirked eyebrow. He made me want to crawl in a hole, never come out, and eventually die of embarrassment.

"I was simply curious of your relations with other crew members. But it is understandable for you to be adverse to discussing your intimate connections with the Lieutenant." he said, and I choked on the air slightly. He eyed me closer. His gaze was penetrating and intense, but not cold or mean as it sometimes came off as. On some days I found myself wondering if he purposely had that expression, other days I reminded myself he was Vulcan and an emotionless expression was a natural thing for them. I halted in examining his face and processed his words.

He thought I was with Sulu?As in _with_ Sulu? What? How could he think that? I mean I knew Sulu and I were close but not close enough for people to see us as an item!

"No, no, we aren't together. Just friends." I said stretched, and Spock finally looked away from me. Why did I want to assure him so much that we weren't together?

"I understand." He said after a while. I smacked my head mentally. He was like a labyrinth that I couldn't quite travel through. He would show flickers of emotions, but he was a Vulcan. Even if he was half human, he clearly had chosen his half Vulcan half heritage. He wasn't supposed to feel jealousy or anger over illogical things.

I sighed as we reached the lab. Great. My day begins on the worst note it could have possibly been on.

When we entered the lab, I quickly slipped on my lab coat and took a seat at my station. For the first time in a while, I didn't want to talk. I was not in the mood for more conversation with Spock.

I felt his eyes on my for a brief moment before he sat at his own station. We worked for two hours when I stood up to get more samples from the botany lab. Since we rarely ran out of samples, it gave me an excuse to go to the plant room. It didn't both me that another scientist had neglected his duties of bringing more samples. Getting to go down there twice in day, it was a nice treat for me that I wasn't going to start complaining about.

I was just out the door when I was thrown backwards, the ship shaking under me as I landed on the floor painfully. I felt my skull hit the ground and everything blacked out for a few seconds before I snapped back. My head pounded and my back ached.

I quickly tried to stand up as an instinct, turning widely to see what happened or what was damaged. My body screamed in protest as I tried to take everything in. I eyed Spock who had grabbed onto the bolted table. He didn't seem hurt; however he was eyeing me quickly.

"Stella, I advise you to grab onto something-"

The ship jerked and Spock was thrust in my direction, my brain still blurry as I saw a flash of blue sliding towards me. I heard him let out a grunt as the ship tilted, and Spock collided rather forcefully against me and I ground my teeth in pain. Spock's arms caged me between him, and I fought hard to breath. His body was too close to mine, my face practically buried into his firm chest. Adrenaline was coursing through me, the cold wall behind me and Spock's warm body in front. I heard shouts from the hall way and the sound of things clattering to the ground. A red light was flashing from outside the lab, and fear was taking over my thoughts.

The ship was slowly tilting back into an even position when I finally could speak.

"S-Spock what happened?" I stuttered, and he finally got off of me. I grabbed the wall for support as I stood up.

"It seems we have been dropped out of warp." He stated, and I noticed that the familiar hum that the ship made when it was in warp was absent.

Moments later, the captain's voice rang through the intercom.

"Attention all crew; we have been dropped out of warp unexpectedly. We have entered the Briar patch, a section of Federation territory that's known to cause several ship malfunctions. Don't be alarmed, but report to med bay if any serious injuries occurred. Kirk out."

I rubbed my head slowly, processing the Captain's words.

Does this mean I was going to be tossed around the ship at any moment? I grimaced at my throbbing head.

"Stella, are you alright? Have you sustained any injuries?"

I heard Spock's voice and I looked up at him. His dark eyes were laced with slight concern but his face was passive.

"Nothing serious. I'm fine.", I assured him, but the emotion was still dotted in his eyes before disappearing. I ignored it as I surveyed the damage in the lab. Some beakers and tubes had been tossed to the side, and some glass had shattered to the floor. Papers had been tossed here and there, along with lab tools scattered about. I inwardly groaned. It was going to be a pain in the ass to clean it all up.

After I had organized my station and dropped by the other labs to survey the damage, I was off to med bay. The pounding in my head had yet to cease and the cut on my leg due to a piece of broken glass was bleeding quite a bit. I didn't listen to Spock's initial request for me to go to med bay, and I was paying the price. My head was still aching and I was beginning to worry if the cut on my calf would become infected. I listened to the side of my brain with some common sense and began my trek down to the med bay.

The damage on the ship wasn't terrible but it definitely left a mark. I saw crew members scrambling around, carrying papers and pads. Others were injured on their way or from the med bay, due to bruises or broken bones.

By the time I reached med bay, it was substantially busy.

Bones was furiously scribbling on his clip board and giving orders to the other nurses. I waited patiently until he noticed me. I had entered the med bay thirty minutes ago, sitting down at a nearby table with other waiting cadets. I sat, watching as McCoy or Nurse Chapel would call their name and sit them down on a bio bed if needed. Doctor McCoy finally walked towards me, still staring down at his PADD. He began his string of questions quickly.

"Any broken bones?"

I shook my head.

"Bruises? Cuts?"

I nodded and pointed at my leg, which lead a small stream of blood tracing down my leg. I heard him let out a low expletive as he pointed at the bio bed. I sat down slowly as he rummaged through the cabinet. He pulled out a roll of gauze and swabs of cloth.

"Any other injuries I should know about?" He began to clean my wound and I hissed in pain.

"Yes. I hit my head on the ground when I fell." I said through slightly gritted teeth. He finished wrapping my leg and moved up to my face. He walked around me and began to sift through my messy bun. I then felt his fingers run across the crown of my head and I winced.

"Yea, that's quite bump you have. Not a concussion though.", Doctor McCoy explained. I smiled in relief. I was not excited to be stuck in med bay for another few days with a damn head ache.

Suddenly a felt a quick, sharp pinch in my back and let out a yelp from the unexpected pain . Immediately, the pulsing in my head and back subsided. I glared at McCoy.

"A little warning next time before you hypo me in the back." I scowled, but he simply smirked.

"Don't be such a baby. But if it makes you feel any better, Jim cries like an infant when I do it to him."

I laughed lightly at what he said, and hopped off the bio bed quickly.

"Well, I should get going. The lab's still a mess." I grimaced, and McCoy nodded understandingly.

"Tell me about it. I hope Jim learns how to steer a ship soon or the med bay is going to be in ruins."

I smiled again at his banter before exiting med bay. I walked swiftly down the hall back to the labs. I didn't want to leave Spock alone with so much work, especially after the events of today. When I reached the lab however, he wasn't present. His station was empty but his microscope was still on. I furrowed my eye brows. Where did he disappear to? Reaching the conclusion he had been summoned to the bridge due to today's recent events, catching up on my work was a new priority.

I ignored his absence and began to neaten up my station again. The pounding in my head had thankfully stayed at bay, even as I could feel the coolness of the hypo wear off. I was too tired to pull my hair into a neater bun and I was afraid the pain would return if I tried to. It would remain a frizzy mess with strands of brown sticking out. I sighed, putting my hair up anyway. It would be easier to work with it up, and the slight pain that came with it was easier to work through than before.

It was getting later as I worked, and it was getting harder to keep my eyes open. My brain was drowsy and my hand writing became sloppier and sloppier as I scribbled down note. I flicked off the microscope tiredly. I could feel myself about to fall asleep when I heard the door open. I spun around so quickly that I nearly fell off my chair in the process. I locked eyes with Spock. The embarrassment wouldn't cease would it? First, practically accusing him of feeling jealousy and now almost falling asleep in front a senior officer. This was not the day for me, clearly.

"Oh, hello Spock. You scared me." I said, smiling slightly. He quirked an eye brow, walking closer to me.

"Apologies, Stella. It was not my intention. However, it appears you are quite exhausted. It is getting late. You should rest in your quarters."

I averted my eyes from his deep brown ones. How was one man able to make me so nervous, just by standing mere feet away from me? He raised an eye brow at me. Maybe it was his cool demeanor, which made be look like an anxious deer ready to sprint away. Or that he seemed cold and calculating when he talked, making me feel too emotional or over reactive.

"I suppose I should. Today was just...exhausting." I relented and stood up to shrug my lab coat off. I felt his eyes on me as I crossed the room.

"Yes. I trust you visited the sick bay to get your injuries treated?" He asked. I smiled but shook my head.

"It was hardly an injury, but yes. Thank you, Spock."

He seemed confused for a split second.

"I do not understand why you are thanking me.", he said simply, and I frowned.

"It could have been much worse had you not held me against the wall. I probably would have been tossed around the ship even more." I explained, fighting the blush that threatened to creep up my face after remembering how close I was to him. But he had protected me, and who knows how bad my injuries could have been. I narrowly escaped a damn concussion. The glass that had sprayed across the floor could have even caused more injuries, lacerations that could scar if I had fallen on them.

He nodded slightly.

"It was only logical, seeing if I had not held you in place, I would have collided into you without a cushion to the impact." He explained, his face calm and arms clasped behind his back. I nodded slowly, still exhausted.

"Thanks anyway." I muttered, hooking my coat on the rack. I smoothed my blue uniform down, trying to tug it down. Uhura and I constantly complained about the length of the mandatory uniforms. While men were comfortable in their shirts and pants, we girls are stuck in short dresses and short sleeves. It was cold and not modest enough to my liking. I wouldn't mind pants, thank you very much. I had considered constructing a letter to Star Fleet, but that would be silly and childish. It still didn't make up for the uncomfortable dresses, though.

Spock eyed my hands briefly as I tugged my dress down. He blinked before his mouth opened. He seemed to hesitate slightly before speaking.

"Stella, may I ask a personal query?", he tilted his head slightly, and I frowned. What could he possibly ask? I just wanted to sleep, so I nodded anyway. The quicker he finished, the quicker my head would hit the pillow.

"Go ahead, Spock." I said, and he took another step closer. His voice lowered, as if it was a secretive or private thing to say. I suppose it was, but there was no one else around to hear it, thus my confusion to his advance closer to me.

"What triggered your silence? That is, if it correct to assume you were not born mute. Your speaking is impressive and would not be as practiced if you had never spoken before ."

I paused, smoothing my dress done again nervously. I swallowed, blinking a few times before speaking. I froze again when I met his dark eyes. They were narrowed slightly. I nodded.

"A few years ago. My sister ended her life." I whispered, trying to find my voice but failing miserably. I looked down at the floor, suddenly embarrassed for near crying in front of a senior officer. I hated how the story sounded, saying my sister did what she did. I was almost ashamed of it, but I never decided to confront those emotions in fear I would only make things harder for myself. I continued.

"I stopped talking, I didn't know why. Even when I tried to...I just...couldn't." I said, and luckily my voice had increased in volume. I stared down at my black shoes, waiting for him to speak. I hoped he had heard me, only to spare myself from repeating it again. I appeared weak, no doubt, and I suddenly wished I had left the lab before he had time to say anything to me. Any respect he had for me was probably gone, along with any dignity I had.

That's why when I felt a finger under my chin, I stopped breathing. Said finger lifted my head up from my shoes and made me face dark brown eyes. Spock's face was calm and emotionless, but I couldn't quite read his eyes. I blinked, unable to speak. Thankfully, he began to talk.

"I request that you look at me when you speak." He said, and it wasn't quite what I had expected. His voice wasn't soothing or sad, it was professional and unchanged. I was stung slightly by his curtness but nodded anyway, trying hard not to take my eyes from his face. His mouth opened again.

"I apologize, that is a terrible occurrence. Your reaction was understandable." His eyes were now changing, it seemed, but his face remained passive and calculating. His eyes seemed softer, like they were showing sympathy. I swallowed again, nervous. I fought the urge to lean in, to press my own mouth to his and relax into him. But I didn't. I couldn't. I pulled away from him gently, looking away from him. His hand fell back to his side and I stepped away from him.

Unprofessional thoughts were for unprofessional people, and unprofessional people could not work aboard the Enterprise. I was almost mortified for having such thoughts for the Commander, and embarrassed for what I had wanted to do. My eyes were flickering around the lab anxiously, and I was eager to leave.

"Thank you, Spock. I really appreciate it. Good night." I said quickly, avoiding his eyes before making a bee line out of the lab. I could feel a pair of dark brown eyes follow me as I fled the room. I could feel my own eyes blink back tears as I walked down the corridor.

* * *

"Thanks anyway." She said quietly, hanging her lab coat on the nearby rack. He watched her smooth down her dress, trying the lengthen it. His eyes lead down to her pale fingers that ghosted across the hem line of the dress.

He blinked and pulled his thoughts away from the not so modest dress she wore. His mind was in a more serious mode. He opened his mouth to speak, contemplating what to say.

"Stella, may I ask a personal query?" He finally asked, and Stella paused before nodding.

"Go ahead Spock." She said. Her eyes were weary but still kind. They were softer though, different from the way they looked at him when she had been trapped under him on two occasions. Wide. Frightful. Panicked.

He took a step closer, and eyed her carefully. The curiosity had been nagging him, ever since she had regained her voice. Though he was normally completely controlled, apparently his human side was deciding to make an appearance, in the form of intrigue and maybe suspense. He wanted to know.

"What triggered your silence? That is, assuming you was not born mute. Your speaking is impressive and would not be as practiced if you had never spoken before."

He began to wonder if it was a mistake to ask such a question, for she paused and blinked several times before answering. However, he thought it was a logical question and therefore perfectly valid to ask in a conversation. She met his eyes.

"A few years ago. My sister ended her life." She whispered, her face still tired but now painted with a nostalgic, melancholy expression.

He watched her as she hung her face lower. Spock tensed. The answer she gave had hit him like a bullet. He never imagined that would be the cause of her silence.

She continued.

"I stopped talking, I didn't know why. Even when I tried to...I just...couldn't."

Spock glanced down at Stella, strands of brown hair drifting in front of her face. Her head was down, staring at the metallic floor.

He suddenly felt intrusive, for asking such a personal question.

He stepped closer, hesitantly lifting a single finger up to her chin. The skin to skin contact was not something he often welcomed, even at this moment, but he felt it appropriate for the situation. He had learned, humans appreciated physical comfort when distressed.

He felt her current emotions flood through him, pain, loneliness, regret, and he flinched ever so slightly. Immediately, he regretted his decision to feel her emotions, knowing what he had done was unprofessional and invading her personal atmosphere. However, he didn't yank away like a small part of him wanted to do. Instead, he pulled her face to confront him. He stared into her blue eyes cautiously, examining the tears that welled up but didn't dare fall. More emotions slipped into his mind. Kindness, Respect, affection. He frowned. The longing that was felt between them, was it from her or from him? He felt irritation towards himself, he knew he did not feel that way for a junior colleague.

He took a small breath, focusing back to her. Her lips were curved downwards. He fought the urge to lean closer to her face, and the thought of it was easily and swiftly suppressed, pushed down with ease as he tried to think more logically. She blinked and Spock finally spoke.

"I request that you look at me when you speak." He said, and it came out slightly harsher than he had meant it to be. He noticed her minute reaction, however obvious. She seemed burned by his blunt remark, and his immediately felt the need to cushion what he had said so sharply.

"I apologize, that was a terrible occurrence. Your reaction is understandable." He stated, not really knowing what else to say. To him, ending one's own life was illogical. It had no positive value and eliminated the possibilities of a future benefit. He didn't understand.

Uhura had separated with him for that exact reason- the inability to understand human emotions. She knew it was difficult for him. His half human heritage made it hard for him to control his emotions, but his Vulcan genes made it difficult for him to express them. Uhura could not be a relationship with someone who didn't understand her emotions. She was confident, always expressed what she thought or felt, and had no qualms in showing her emotion. Spock was her polar opposite and while some might say opposites attract, it simply was not a match between them.

He watched her eyes scan his face carefully, her head tilted up due to his taller stature. She swallowed before pulling away from his hand. The flood of emotions ceased as she stepped back, blinking furiously. He watched, confused but no perplexity visible on his face.

"Thank you Spock. I really appreciate it. Good night." She said quickly, before sweeping past him and out the door.

He was left surprised by her reaction. He had offered comfort, and physical consolation at that. So why had she acted in such a surprising way? She almost seemed embarrassed and angry, but not at him. At _herself. _

He was left slightly baffled by her, feeling the need to meditate and sort his frayed emotions into neat stacks of feelings and thoughts. He needed to get the thoughts of her out of his head and mind, he needed to forget about her. But in the back of his mind, he knew it would be easier said than done.

* * *

**More fluff, I know, super sorry. The next chapter has some action, and maybe make the development between Stella and Spock more gradual and realistic. Please tell me if any of the characters are not correctly portrayed, I hate reading stories where there are OOC people, especially Spock. I may not have enough time to write for the next two weeks or so, I am going on vacation (to Albany to visit some family) I have another drafted chapter, and soon I will start on some more. Please review, and I sincerely thank the three of you that already have, I literally freaked out when you did! Thank you, and I will update probably next week. Review/Favorite/Follow please!**


	10. Author Comment

**There is NO chapter, this is just an author's note, because this story has been up for less then a month but I felt the need to say it. Out of the 1,000 people that have read/viewed this story, only 9 have followed and 4 have favorited, and 4 have reviewed. I know this is annoying for you guys to read this but I am just wondering. I recently saw another star trek fic with less chapters, words, and it has been up for a shorter period of time. It had more reviews, favorites, and follows. Is my story bad?**

**PLEASE GIVE FEED BACK**

**The story isn't written in stone. I will gladly change/edit the story. Do you guys not like how it's a Spock/OC story? Are the characters not correctly portrayed? If it makes you cringe, because you think a part of my story is bad or ridiculous please tell me! I just really want to know how to make the story better for you guys to read!**

**I have a new idea for another story, but I am unsure about the pairing and if it should be an OC or a canon character. Please give suggestions, plot lines, and any other comments on a future story. A new chapter will be up this weekend most likely.**

**Thanks!**


	11. Chapter 11

**So this chapter will not be told through Stella's POV but it's only temporary. Thank you so much for everyone who reviewed! I understand that pens and paper do not really sound futuristic, so I will try to change that and I am sorry if it bothered you while reading the story. Also, regarding the uniform I see that yes, the women wear dresses and it seems I have forgotten that at some times. I will also try to work on that and any other things that seem incorrect or out of place. Thank you so much to everyone that has reviewed, followed, you get the point. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

The next few weeks passed without any incidents. Despite being in the Briar patch, which did cause a few problems in engineering, there were no more ship earth quakes. Which Stella thanked, because she would not appreciate being thrown around anymore.

Her schedule fell back into its comfortable rhythm. Go to work at 6 a.m., work until noon and then eat lunch and return to work. She would then spend time in the lab until dinner. Spock was usually in the upper deck lab when she got there, off from his shift on the bridge.

Today, Stella was a bit more exhausted than usual. She had to cover an earlier shift for Cadet Miller, who had come down with a nasty fever and meaning she had to wake up an hour earlier. Following that, she had managed to drop a rock sample on her toes, leaving her with a dark black and blue on top of her foot. She had pulled her hair into a woven bun when she first got up, but it had somehow morphed into a frizzy, loose knot of brown hair.

"Good evening Spock." She greeted when she entered the lab. She quickly slipped on her lab coat and sat at her station.

"Good evening, Stella." He paused and looked her over quickly, "You seem exhausted. Have you not received an adequate amount of rest?"

She momentarily wondered what gave it away- her disheveled appearance or the way she seemed to lean over her desk like a hunchbacked man.

She smiled and waved it off.

"I just had an earlier shift, not a problem." She said, turning back to her station. Spock seemed unconvinced but continued working.

The two worked in silence until she found something interesting.

"S-Spock can you please come over here?" She stuttered slightly. She continued to examine what was under her microscope, not bothering to pause from what she was looking at. Spock got up from his station and walked over to her swiftly. He leaned over her shoulder slightly.

"What is it?" He asked, and she moved away from the scope.

"T-this flower's venom...look what it did to a dead skin cell." She whispered, and Spock put his eye on the eye piece. His mouth parted slightly to speak, but he did not talk. The venom had managed to cause the skin to regenerate, bringing the dead cells back to life! It was like Khan's blood; except this could heal the skin directly. After a few moments, he pulled away.

"This is a fascinating discovery, Stella." He said, staring at her. Stella averted her eyes from him. She swallowed thickly.

"I couldn't have done it without your extensive research on the plant." She said, finally looking up at him. His brown eyes seemed penetrating and dark, intimidating and intrigued. He cocked his head.

"Yes, but without your intelligent research on the reactions of this plant, we would not have discovered its behavior with human skin.", he said, not moving away from her. She smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Spock." She managed, eyeing him carefully. He seemed emotionless yet interested at the same time.

She quickly turned back to the microscope, putting her face to the piece. It was a great discovery and could heal people quicker in the future, like a cream to put on skin the heal it but much faster and hopefully more efficient. She felt excitement buzz through her, glancing at something that could possibly change lives forever! Spock seemed to notice her reinvigorated attitude, for he stood up straighter and clasped his hands behind his back. His mouth quirked up slightly as she stood up. Despite the new discovery, it was reaching the end of her shift, and she knew Spock would have to finish some work on the bridge before his shift ended.

Stella glanced at the clock and yawned accordingly as it said 10:43 pm. The lieutenant rubbed her eyes and flicked off the microscope.

"I sincerely advise you to receive more rest. It seems our sessions have taken time away from your R.E.M. schedule." He said, and she chuckled softly.

"Thank you, Spock, but I think I can manage." She muttered, and pulled her coat off. She hung it up and smoothed her hair back carefully; It was going to be a pain to brush through it tonight.

He looked at her.

"Your hair seems quite disobedient." He commented, and she paused.

Had he just made a joke?

Vulcan's weren't supposed to make jokes, were they? But she couldn't mistake the glimmer of amusement in his dark eyes. It took her a second to figure out what to say.

"Yes, it is, I guess." Sheepishly, Stella reached up to smooth it down, failing miserably as several strands floated into her face. She sighed, smiling at herself. Spock looked on, curious but obviously entertained by her frivolous demeanor. But his face betrayed nothing but the upwards quirk of his lips. She quickly changed the subject, wanting to move on from the topic of her frizzy hair.

"So, Spock, when should we tell the Captain of our discovery?" She asked quickly, and Spock regained his firm posture.

"Our shifts converge at 0700, so I will inform him of it then. Lately, he has been busy handling the malfunctions brought on from our current position in this quadrant." He informed her, and she nodded.

"Got it. Thanks Spock.", Stella said, walking over to the door.

"I hope you will return directly to your quarters to reassess your hair." He said, and she smiled at his humor.

"Will do Spock, will do. Good night."

One might have been insulted by his blunt remark however she saw right through the hard shell of his banter. After a couple of months working with him, there were several things she began to understand about him, however she knew there was a lot more to comprehend when it came to the inner workings of his mind. The way he sometimes showed emotion, or masked it completely in ways that seemed cold or standoffish. The times when he wouldn't mind being closer than usual to her in the lab, and other times when he would stay on the opposite side of the room, as far away from her as possible without talking at all. He was synonymous with a coin, she thought, two different sides yet one man just the same.

"Good night, Stella." He said, and she nodded and exited the lab.

She could hardly fight off the small smile that crept up her lips as she walked back to her quarters, messy hair and all.

Four weeks later, She was on her way to the science lab when a loud alarm wailing filled her arms. Her senses were vaguely bombarded by red lights and loud sirens, slight chaos beginning to surround her. Stella sprinted to the lab, alarmed.

"Attention all crew. We've been infiltrated by Klingon mercenaries. Please remain out of the corridors until we can locate their positions on the ship. Security officers, standby." She heard Kirk's voice on the comm, panting slightly as the lab door slid shut behind her. She was alone in the small lab, frantically thinking.

An infiltration of Klingons meant people could get hurt, or worse, killed. She had to help, didn't she? But that would mean risking her life and ignoring the Captain's orders.

But people's lives were at risk.

She had the plant, in the lab, feet away from her. The plant that held venom with the ability to regenerate skin at a rapid pace, a venom that could save someones life if the situation was as serious as it seemed. Her heart was pounding in her ears as she contemplated what to do.

She could stay put in the lab, like the Captain had ordered them all to do, or she could take a chance and sprint to med bay and give them the plants venom. If people were going to get hurt, she could probably help them with the antidote.

The past weeks had held much advancement in the research of the plant, not to mention ways to distribute it and actually make it usable. She, Spock and a few other science officers had created a way to inject the antidote into human skin, safely without any harmful side effects to the crew members they had injected it into. They had discovered, surprisingly, that it reacted to the skin no differently then a dermal regenerator that they were already using on the ship. However, the venom was much quicker and convenient; it didn't require charging or time to warm up. It was just an injection and only required about 120 milliliters in one injection, though the size of the wound did matter. But it was able to heal large wounds in a short amount of time, crucial for a mission that requires a fast moving team of people. It had even healed up a nasty gash Cadet Fenway had received from a broken pipe in engineering. The plant had proved to be an important medicine that could heal small cuts and wounds, and keep them from getting infected.

She took a deep breath and grabbed a syringe, quickly moving across the room and grabbing the supplies she needed. She pulled out the plant from its tube in the wall and place it on the table, breathing heavily.

She stuck the needle in the plant, watching as the small tube of glass filled up with orange liquid. She then slipped the needle into the pocket of her undershirt she wore beneath her dress, safely concealing it and slipping out of the lab quickly. She then sprinted to med bay, her shoes clacking against the metal corridor quickly.

One second her vision was staring at a virtually empty hall way, the next moment her eyes landing on a large, heavily armed chest. She gasped as her eyes trailed up to a Klingon, an angry look in his eyes but a malicious smile on his lips.

She quickly turned to spring away, but was yanked back by her uniform collar. She let out a yelp of pain as she was pulled forcefully away from the hallway and into a nearby room. She was shoved onto the floor, the wind knocked out of her temporarily as two more Klingons entered the room. Fear began to course through her. She was breathing heavily, scrambling back and trying to stand, only to trip back onto the floor again. Two of the Klingons began to talk in another language harshly, the last one walking out of the room to stand guard. One of the Klingons turned to her.

"Where is it?" He said harshly, and she was tongue tied. When he stepped forward threateningly, she began to speak.

"W-where is what?" She said trying to sound braver than she actually felt, but the confusion in her voice was obvious. The Klingon scowled and leaned forward. His hand suddenly struck her forcefully, and black spots swam in her vision for a few seconds. Her began to take deep breaths, the pain making it hard to react rationally.

"Do not try to lie to us human. Where is the plant?", he asked loudly. Stella froze, a new fear creeping upon her. She could taste blood on her tongue.

"W-what plant?" She asked, but she had a fear about what they meant. The Klingon didn't hit her again as she feared but he growled lowly. She shuddered.

"The plant with the antidote in it. Give it to us!" He demanded, and she tried to feign confusion and ignorance. She wanted to appear more capable, even when she really wanted to cry and crawl into a corner with the antidote in her pocket. She was trying to think quickly, she couldn't give them the plant but if she didn't they would most surely kill her.

She bit her tongue.

"I-I don't have it. It was transported o-off-" She was interrupted by a strong fist connecting with her stomach, pain erupting in her abdomen. She sprawled onto the floor weakly, gasping for breath as she coughed violently.

The Klingon scowled even deeper.

"Lie and you will be killed." He growled, and she could feel tears prick her eyes.

"Tell us where the antidote is!"

She weakly tried to push herself up. She had nothing to lose, she was in a room with hostile Klingons, without a weapon and was probably going to be killed by them whether or not they got the antidote. She felt defeated however she knew she wasn't, not completely. Pushing herself up, she stared at the Klingon.

"You Klingons have great faith in honor. What honor would come from killing a woman with no weapon?" She managed, trying to sound courageous.

The Klingon didn't flinch.

"You are right. Which is why we will allow you to speak with your Captain before we rid of you.", he said it with such confidence, as if he knew he had done exactly what she feared. And he had.

Her stomach plummeted, and her blood froze. Or at least it felt like it had. The Klingon forcefully lifted her up by the her hair, which had fallen out of her bun during her struggle on the way to the room. He held her hands roughly behind her back and shoved her. She didn't bother resisting but she couldn't speak with the Captain. He would no doubt send a team down to where she was, endangering the lives of whoever he sent. She didn't want that, nor did she want anyone's blood on her hands, even if she was about to be killed.

The other Klingon walked up to the communicator pad next to the door, punching in buttons angrily. Or maybe that was just him acting normally, as Klingon's were infamous for their gruff and rude disposition. She found herself cursing an unknown deity for that fact. The speaker beeped.

"This is Captain Kirk, who is this and why are you calling from a maintenance corridor?" She heard Jim's voice from the other side of the communicator, and she bit her lip. The Klingon spoke up angrily.

"Captain Kirk.", he said, spitting his name out with obvious distaste and somewhat smugness, "I am Rel'Pek, and I am proposing a trade."

He lifted his hand off the communicator and the Jim was silent for a moment. Stella waited in anticipation, swallowing as she felt her hair stick to her neck and face with sweat.

Finally, she heard Jim speak again.

"And what sort of trade?" Jim asked, and Stella breathed heavily. He knew it was the Klingons. But he didn't know yet, that she was being held prisoner. The Klingon behind her forced her toward the comm, shoving her gruffly. Rel'Pek pressed the button and glared at her, his unspoken demand to speak.

"C-Captain, this is Lieutenant Anderson, they have me here." The other end of the comm was silent when Rel'Pek took his hand off the button.

"Lieutenant, what's the trade?" Jim's voice was strained as he tried to remain level and calm. One of his officers was in danger and it was his responsibility to stop that from happening. Stella continued when his hand was back on the comm. She was thinking hard, trying to figure out a way to keep the antidote from getting into their hands and trying to keep anyone from getting killed in the process.

"They want the antidote from the plant. Don't give it to them, I can handle this Cap-"

Rel'Pek cut her off with a sharp push and a tight grip.

"We will hand her back alive if you give us the antidote."

Kirk glanced at Spock when Stella's voice sounded over the comm. His eyes had narrowed barely a millimeter, his body more rigid and his lips firm. Jim couldn't tell exactly what his friend was thinking but he could tell what he was feeling, and what he was trying not to feel. Both of them knew this was not a time for emotion; they needed to think rationally and strategically.

Jim knew about the plant, he was informed by Spock and the entire team of science officers working on it. However, he was unaware that any Klingons would be after it, it just didn't make sense. He placed his hand on the comm and took a deep breath.

"What could Klingons possibly need with an antidote that only regenerates human skin?" Kirk waited for the response, rising to his feet.

"That is of no importance to you. Now give us the antidote or we will not hesitate to kill her. Slowly." The Klingon said ominously, his voice alarming the Captain as he looked at Spock.

Spock felt anger spread through him. He took a deep calming breath, trying to think rationally. Why was he so worried about Stella? Of course, in any event they should be trying to get a hostage crew member out of danger, but this felt like more than that, it felt like something he didn't understand.

Kirk sighed deeply, sparing a glance at Spock, who was trying to keep his emotions in check. He then passed a look to Uhura, who was tapping her hands the glass with nimble fingers. Kirk understood how she felt, scared and worried for her friend but still knowing she had to do her job efficiently and quickly. It was the way he had felt when any of his close friends or crew members were in danger. When Christopher Pike had been killed.

He pushed the heavy thoughts out of his head and focused.

"Let her go and we will give you the antidote." Kirk lifted his finger off the communicator and faced Spock.

"Don't give them the antidote. Come with me." He said, and Spock narrowed his eyes at the Captain as they walked down the corridor swiftly.

"Where was the transmission coming from on the ship?"

Spock frowned slightly, not aware of the plans Jim had in mind.

"Deck four, maintenance corridor two, room one. Captain, seeing as you do not plan to give them the antidote I can only assume you plan to ambush them."

Kirk's silence confirmed Spock's deduction. They both swept through the hall ways quickly, lifting there phasers as they neared the corridor.

"Captain, I do not advise this plan. Stella is still being held hostage in that room. The Klingons will most likely have guards outside the door and if she is being held inside-"

Kirk cut him off, his icy eyes meeting a pair of brown ones.

"Spock, I'm going to take care of the outside guard of there is one. You're going to get inside the room and get Stella out. It's a chance we need to take."

Spock stared at his Captain, slight irritation rising as he assumed the Captain's ignorance.

"Captain, are you forgetting the attitudes of Klingons toward Starfleet? They will not hesitate to kill-"

"Spock. I know you're worried about her. But it will work." Jim reassured his friend, and the Vulcan stopping protesting. He would have to have faith in his captain, and his plan.

They turned the corner, weapons positioned to fire as they sprinted down the hallway. Kirk shot at the first Klingon he saw, and Spock sprinted to the door. He entered the code as quickly as his fingers would allow him to. He heard Jim struggle with the Klingon as he entered the room, phaser aimed at the nearest Klingon. His eyes met Stella's, and his anger was rekindled although he didn't know what was being set ablaze. He lunged forward at the Klingon holding Stella, landing a swift punch across the aliens face. Stella fell to the ground forcefully, her head crashing against the ground painfully. She urged herself up, The room spinning for a moment before she watched Spock knock out the Klingon. A green cut was apparent on his cheek. He was panting slightly.

"Spock!" Stella screamed, and Spock spun around just in time to shoot the roaring Klingon that had launched towards him. The Klingon collapsed with a heavy thud on the ground at the Vulcan's feet.

Spock immediately helped Stella to her feet, her disoriented position pushed down by gravity. She was just about to speak when she heard a loud grunt coming from outside. She tried for the door weakly, Spock following suit and swiftly sprinting ahead of her.

Kirk was still attacking the Klingon, blood smeared on his face and normally yellow shirt. He was heaving heavily as the Klingon ran at him again, swiftly punching Jim in the chest as he landed on the floor loudly. Stella shrieked before Spock shot at the Klingon, his phaser successfully killing him as it hit his chest. Stella ran to Jim frantically, kneeling beside his coughing figure.

"S-Stella." He whispered, smiling but then wincing. His eye was beginning to swell and a cut had opened on his lip.

"Captain, we are going to get you to med bay as soon as a team arrives." Spock reached for his comm. Kirk didn't say anything; he just reached for the hem of his shirt. He lifted it up slowly, revealing a dark purple bruise, centered on a deep red gash. Stella gasped, and Spock's eyes widened slightly, then followed by an uncommon yet familiar feeling he had had before. Seeing Jim hurt; Spock never wanted to see his friend the way he had when Khan had disabled the ship, Jim killing himself in the process of trying to save everyone.

"It's pretty bad isn't it?" Kirk managed, and Stella nodded. She didn't want to sugar coat the obvious, though painful and daunting.

Tears appeared in her eyes, and Spock opened his communicator.

"Doctor McCoy, I need medical assistance immediately. Deck four, maintained corridor two. Please hurry." He shut the device and looked at Jim's bare abdomen, clearly injured severely. Stella sniffled before gasping loudly, and Spock whipped his head to look at her.

"What is it Lieutenant?" He asked, his voice cracking but only a small fracture. His friend, dying beside him, and he was incapable of helping. He watched as Stella's hand fumbled into the inner shirt of her uniform, her trembling fingers blood stained as she pulled out an orange syringe. He then understood, a new hope rising for both of them.

"Is that...?" She heard the Captain whisper, and she nodded, preparing to shoot the liquid into him.

"The antidote." Spock finished, and she put her hands to his abdomen carefully. Spock was somewhat astonished. She had the antidote the entire time, and yet she risked her own life in order to protect it. She would rather be killed by Klingons with the venom in her hands than give it over. He had so much to learn about humans an their actions, and he had much to learn about her. She was intriguing to him and yet she put all her emotions on display. He found it hard to comprehend.

"It's going to hurt a bit at first." She explained quickly, and Kirk nodded slowly. She injected it into his side, Spock watching carefully as the liquid emptied from its container.

Moments later, the swelling had gone down, the dark maroon fading into a lavender.

"Your vital organs are probably out of danger, Captain. The gash might take a bit longer to heal but you are no longer at a risk for bleeding out. Please stay still." She instructed, examining the wound. Spock looked on, his eyes narrowed at her ability to handle the situation. She was so calm, so lost in her job that all her emotions he usually felt that came from her were absent. She felt nothing but the need to save the Captains life, the need to help and be useful.

He watched Stella, her brown hair loose and hanging in front of her face. Some of it was dried with blood, along with it smeared on her cheek from her bruised mouth. He then scanned her eyes, dark and full of determination to help Jim.

He noticed her go pale, followed by her slumping to the ground weakly. Slightly horrified, he knelt beside both her and Kirk, his eyes wide in suppressed panic. The medical team arrived seconds later, escorting all three of them to med bay. The nurses had to convince Spock thoroughly to let go of her arm, but he couldn't. With the reassurance that Jim was going to live, he needed to know she was going to as well. He needed to feel what she felt, he needed to know she was still there.

* * *

**Well there you have it! Do not expect updates once a week anymore, but I really will try my best. I need to write the next couple of chapters but because it's my vacation now, I will have more time to write drafts for the chapters. **

**A lot of thought went into this chapter, because I really wanted to keep everyone in character, I am really sorry if they aren't. It's difficult to write Spock's dialogue sometimes, especially when it regards his feelings towards Stella. I hope it doesn't seem like he's falling in lover with her immediately, I want it to seem more gradual and I hope it does. **

**I am not sure what action or events I can add next, so please comment or PM me any ideas or suggestions you have. Thanks so much for reading, and please review, I live for seeing what you guys think! Thanks!**


	12. Chapter 12

**SORRY I was not able to update yesterday, I was super busy and I had a lot of home work to do. I had been putting it off because is was my vacation, and I get back to school on Tuesday. So here is the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy it. Updates won't always be on Saturdays and they might come in two week intervals, but hopefully I can avoid that.**

**I DON"T OWN STAR TREK**

* * *

I had been released from med bay after Jim had, for he used the excuse "I'm the Captain and I have work to do.", and "Bones, I know you are only keeping me here so you can stab me with a hypo."

I on the other hand, was not so lucky.

Jim had suffered a ruptured appendix, a sprained ankle and some lacerations and bruises that didn't need stitching. The plant had kept him from sustaining any life threatening injuries, which was fortunate.

I on the other hand, was a bit less banged up, and out of the realm of fatal wounds. I had a fractured sternum, which healed quickly thanks to Doctor McCoy's medical expertise. Several cuts on my arms due to the rough grip of that Klingon, and a slightly black and blue eye that was healed by a epidermal regenerator. McCoy kept me for what I believed was torture, but he claimed that I had been in the med bay far too many times and he wanted to make sure I rested up until I got injured again. This led to a slight dispute between us that was not resolved until the afternoon he finally let me out.

"Finally!" I said, slightly melodramatic as he gave me my clothes to change into, "I was starting to believe you were holding me prisoner."

McCoy rolled his eyes at me.

"Oh, please, if I wanted to hold you prisoner I would have chained you to the bed."

A moment of silenced passed between us as we both realized how his sentence had come out. He blinked, probably embarrassed but it didn't show. I laughed awkwardly, trying to stifle it with my hand and regain proper behavior.

"Doctor McCoy, I hope we won't ever come to that." He rolled his eyes again, and I feared they would get stuck looking at the ceiling if he rolled them anymore.

"Children, I am surrounded by children." He was no doubt referencing to Jim and I, but I could see some of the humor behind his gruff exterior.

Once I was changed and fit for duty, I headed down to the lab, which was thankfully empty. The remnants of the venom had been transferred to the security station on the lower deck, where it was safe from danger. Due to the venom being out of my hands, it also made my hands empty. Left to my own devices, I decided to start studying another plant specimen. It was nowhere near as interesting as the other plant.

I worked, worked until it was late into the evening, but there was no sign of Spock. I wasn't worried, though. Just curious as to why he would not show up without telling me. He could have at least left a message, and it didn't seem like him to not do so. He hadn't sustained many injuries with the Klingons, he was in the med bay briefly before leaving healthily.

That bothered me slightly, for he had not even felt the need to visit and tell me what he was studying in the lab now that the other plant was not in our hands. I was somewhat embarrassed for wanting him to visit me; he had no urgent need to and I was not of urgent importance to him.

A week passed by, and I still hadn't seen Spock. I knew he was on the ship though, if not I would have known, seeing as he was the first science officer. I would have been notified if something happened.

This led me to two conclusions. The first being he had become too busy on the bridge that he was not able to join me in the lab for our sessions. But I knew this wasn't true. He would have told me, got in touch somehow and explained he would not be able to continue our lab time for the time being. He wouldn't just flat out ignore me because it, or I, wasn't important enough to notify he had no time. However, he was a Vulcan and I knew how they could be. Seemingly cold, standoffish, so logical that what seemed rational to them may not seem that way to humans. That was the sole reason I kept that theory in check.

The second conclusion is that he simply didn't want to be around me. Spock and I worked together; we were colleagues and nothing more than that. He was a senior commander, older than I and holding a higher rank. I worked below him; therefore it was not appropriate for him to be brushing strands of hair from my face or for me to want to kiss him. Even if I were to want a relationship between us, I knew for sure he did not. He needed a Vulcan mate, one that he could marry and have a normal Vulcan life with. I was a human and therefore not a suitable mate. Regardless of mating and relationships aside, if Spock and I were to share romantic feelings we would immediately be separated and placed on different ships. The Federation frowned upon situations like this. It impeded one's ability to do work and there was a possibility of people's lives being put at risk. I would not risk my own and Spock's post or rank for this. If he were to notice the feelings I felt for him, if there were at all, he would no doubt put a barrier between us to avoid any risk.

This made me contemplate on what was between us, if there was anything at all. I pondered it as I cleaned lab equipment slowly. I didn't love Spock. From Uhura's warning though, that was a good thing. As said numerous times, he was a Vulcan and needed a Vulcan mate. Affection for him would only lead to unnecessary heartbreak and hurt. As much as part of my brain wanted to swear off Spock and ignore these feelings I had though, the other part of my mind was reminding me of the times we were in a close proximity, how soothing it was in his presence. The way his hand made my head buzz when he brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. The relaxing affect he had when he leaned over my shoulder in the lab.

Spock still hadn't arrived, even as my shift came to a close and I began to pack up my supplies. Though I was somewhat let down that he hadn't shown, I also felt a bit irritated. We had our sessions, sessions we had arranged a long time ago. We never missed them, we were punctual, and I always attended unless I was stuck in the med bay. I knew Spock was not in the med bay. So why had he not even bothered to tell me he couldn't attend, why didn't he just leave me a message or tell me over the communicator, instead of ignoring me and then proceeding to practically blow me off?

I tried to push back the irritation and hurt I felt as I left the lab and walked back to my quarters quickly. Several crew members were going onto the beta shift, taking over for the alpha shift. Though the halls were bustling with activity, I had a hope I could make it to my quarters without running into anyone who would want to talk. I had almost succeeded in my goal when the Captain's voice called my name. I didn't sigh deeply in defeat like I wanted to, but my sluggish demeanor was obvious to the captain.

"Evening, Stella. Are you alright?" He skipped the small talk and cut out the formalities. I knew he was exhausted, and that meant he was too lazy to waste breath on rank. He fell into step with me as the stream of crew members became smaller and the next shift drew near. His blonde hair was somewhat messy but his blue eyes still held there friendly but intense gaze. I knew he cared about the crew, but right now I was not in the mood to share every detail of my romantic feelings I had toward his first officer. So I offered the generic response.

"I'm just tired Captain."

"Call me Jim."

I nodded at his casual request. It was not the first time he had asked me (or any other crew member for that matter) to do that. He seemed unconvinced but held that all knowing gaze he always had, like he could see through you, call any bluff you have, or just plain look smug. But all of that meant he usually gave pretty good advice, except when it came to women. I had learned from McCoy and some other male crew members that Jim should not be trusted when it came to the opposite sex. However, this situation might have been the exception.

"Spock was on the bridge with me today. Wouldn't even leave his station when his shift ended."

I fought the urge to rub my temples, and began to wonder if he was trying to make me feel better by telling me where the man that blew me off decided to go instead. When I didn't speak, he continued.

"He's been acting a little bit different since you got your voice back. I don't know if there is something between you guys, but if there is, I know what he's trying to do."

I still didn't know what to say, I didn't know how to respond. I was a bit embarrassed to be talking about something like this with him, but I knew he took this a serious manner. Spock was a close friend, and he didn't want either of us to get hurt. But I thought I would be the only one getting hurt, seeing as Spock was trying to distance himself from me. I also was questioning what Jim meant by what Spock was trying to do, as if there was a reason for avoiding me. Spock was enigmatic, a confusing swirl of emotion or the attempt to rid himself of them. Jim continued to speak when I remained quiet.

"He doesn't want to feel what he is feeling. So, he's trying to avoid you so he doesn't. I can't tell him to go and love you, if that's what he really feels. But I know that you make him feel emotions, and he doesn't like that."

I felt a bit annoyed by that statement, but I knew I shouldn't. Jim was right, and if Spock really did feel anything towards me, he would immediately push them down and bury them.

I gave myself another harsh reality check.

Spock probably didn't even feel the way I thought he felt was. The feelings he "felt" were a result of all the inappropriate contact we made, and in an effort to avoid us ever touching again, he was trying to be as far away from me as possible. He didn't feel anything towards me the way I felt towards him. I was being delusional with the thoughts of an impossible romance. Being a child with a silly school girl crush on a popular boy in school.

"Jim, I don't think that's the right deduction." I said, and he looked at me with a slightly incredulous stare. He opened his mouth but I continued.

"The relationship between Commander Spock and I is completely professional and if he chooses to not attend our daily lab sessions, so be it. If he wants to avoid me, then he will. And I assure you he does not feel anything significant towards me, and the same goes for me towards him."

Jim didn't say anything; I could tell he was slightly confused and maybe a bit aggravated by what I had said but I didn't regret what words I chose. I was trying to be honest with myself, and saying the words out loud would only reaffirm what I was trying to convince myself of.

"Stella, I have known Spock for a while now. I can tell, Stella, that Spock cares for you, more than he would for just another crew member with a professional relationship."

He put emphasis on 'professional' as if calling the bond I had with Spock was not just such. The hallways were becoming emptier and emptier as we walked. I didn't know where Jim was going with this, or what he thought would change by telling me Spock had feelings for me but didn't want to admit it. I knew nothing would change. Spock wasn't exactly the type to express his feelings and apologize profusely for pushing me away. I could almost laugh at the thought.

We were nearing my quarters, which Jim seemed to know because he wrapped up the conversation.

"Just give him time and don't pressure him. I know you wouldn't do that, though." Kirk flashed me a wide grin as I stopped in front of my door. His infectious smile made my own mouth curve up as I nodded.

"Goodnight, Jim." I said, and he took off down the empty corridor. I wasted no time preparing for bed and slipping under the covers.

I had known Jim since the day I was assigned to the ship. I didn't know him personally, but I knew of him; it was hard not to. I had gotten my assignment after the Enterprise had been repaired from the Nero accident and the destruction of Vulcan. What he done had earned him several medals and the title of Captain, the youngest one to ever command a star ship. He truly was remarkable, even if at times he seemed like a teenager in a man's body. That's what made him so intriguing; so many facets to one man, so many personalities describing one mind. He could be wise and valiant and intelligent, or silly and womanizing and prone to saying the wrong things at the wrong time. But that was what made him a great captain and a loyal friend.

His advice was usually silly or so ridiculous (at least when it came to women), that taking it would seem like a risky move to anyone who didn't know him that well. However, as I felt myself becoming sleepier and nearing sleep, the words he had said before were beginning to make some sense, at least in the aspect of Spock finding it difficult to comprehend his emotions.

What Jim had said left me many thoughts and many questions. There were not many answers.

The next week passed and still no communication with Spock. The feelings I had first, the initial annoyance and hurt slowly faded into a small ache in my heart that was not noticeable unless I truly focused on why he didn't want to be around me.

Then, I was pinched.

Not literally, but in the sense I was pinched and woken up from a silly dream. Despite what Jim had told me, that Spock had feelings but couldn't show them easily, I knew I was acting like a silly lovesick girl. It was probably to a point where it was even embarrassing, that I was pining after an indifferent man, my senior commander at that. The feelings of hurt disappeared almost completely after I gave myself a slap on the wrists and a strict set of rules to follow. More or less, they were along the lines of to not think about any officer, senior or junior, romantically in anyway and to stop thinking about Commander Spock in anyway other than a commander. He was to be respected, not adored.

My work at slowed to a busy yet manageable pace, different from what had been going on in the past couple of weeks regarding the plant. I was back to examining average plants, ones already known to the Federation. It may have been boring sometimes but I knew a break was needed. This snail-like pace had a downside however. It gave me too much free time to think about Commander Spock, something I was really trying not to do. We had had no interaction since the Klingon infiltration, and it was weeks until I did see him.

It was as I was finishing my work in the lab, preparing to finish for the day and head back to my quarters. He had stood at the door for who knows how long, silently, until I finally turned to leave. His presence startled me in more than one way.

When I didn't say anything, he did.

"Good evening Lieutenant, have you finished your work for the day?"

First, slight shock. Then, irritation, followed by the reminder I was about to have a small seizure in front of the Commander. I stood up straighter and nodded.

"Yes, Commander, I just completed preparing the lab for the next shift. " I used rank just as he had, hoping to show him that his blunt disregard for our sessions didn't affect me in the way it had. I knew that those things were not linked however I pretended they were. I assumed it was an effect of my silly love sick phase and the silly heart broken feelings I held afterward.

He didn't say anything at first, as I began to walk past him. At this point, I didn't care what he had to say, whether if it was an explanation or an apology, or something unrelated to that. I simply didn't care, and I suppose that was a good thing. I was two steps out the door when he said something.

"Lieutenant, assuming you are departing for your quarters, I would like to discuss some matters with you."

I turned back to look at him, suddenly angered by him for reasons inexplicable. I knew in the back of my mind that all he had done was blow off our sessions, maybe because he was busy doing things for the Captain. But his pointed ears and his elegant eye brows and his dark eyes seemed to irritate me and look lovely at the same time.

"Commander, I will have to deny that request. It is getting late and I do believe we both have early shifts."

He didn't say anything, maybe because he didn't expect that answer. A small wave of smugness washed over me, as if I were victorious in taking him off guard. Oh, boy was I wrong. His words tripped me off my feet.

"Lieutenant, I feel as though we have important matters to discuss. If you would allow me spare minutes of your time, I see it fit for me to accompany you."

What he had actually said didn't confuse me, it was the way he said it. He sound annoyed, as if me denying his request was equivalent to raking my nails down a chalk board after he had told me to stop. And along with that, his words had a bite. The way he spoke stung me more than it should have; after all, I had only told him, respectfully, if I may add, that I did not want him to walk with me. That was my first clue what had to speak about was going to be troubling for him, and he wanted to get it out now when his emotions were calmer.

Seeing as I could not flat out deny his request, I nodded slowly. We began to walk down the corridors, already empty as the new shifts changed. He was a few small paces ahead of me, his posture as in line as he himself was. I decided to wait until he spoke, not wanting to spend time with small talk. We turned a corner and he finally spoke.

"Lieutenant, I would like to apologize for not attending our usual lab sessions. I have not been available as of late and I am aware I was not in contact with you. I apologize if I caused any inconvenience."

I was expecting that, however I was expecting it to sound a bit less sincere than he did. Once again reminding myself to not act childish, I nodded.

"It's alright, Commander, there was no inconvenience at all." I sounded quieter, even though I was aiming for a more confident tone. It wasn't the first time my voice had failed me however it bothered me as it usually did when I was too quiet.

Spock looked at me plainly, slowing down slightly so our footsteps matched. His long strides easily outmatched mine so he seemed to walk a bit slower than my smaller steps. He looked away from me and was quiet again for a few more moments.

"I am also aware that you have spoken with the Captain."

He didn't say what they had spoken about but it was quite obvious what he was referring to. His voice was level but I could tell a hint of something. I couldn't tell what it was. My first assumption was that Jim, being such good friends with Spock, had talked to Spock about his "feelings" for me. I could only imagine how embarrassed Spock was, in a Vulcan sort of way. Although it was probably nowhere near the feelings of mortification that came over me. My only hope was that Jim didn't tell Spock about everything we had spoken about. I straightened my posture slightly.

"Yes, the Captain confronted me the other day while in the hall. It was on arbitrary matters however."

Spock didn't change, at least nothing I could sense. A few moments passed of us walking through the hallway as our foot falls sounded only on two pairs of ears.

"Lieutenant, I was informed of the matters discussed, and I deem it logical for us to halt in our weekly sessions."

I continued walking, but my thoughts were going much faster than my feet. He wanted to stop our sessions? Is that what he had to say? I wanted to ask why, but I knew the answer. In a situation like this, where two officers had doubts of a romantic affair, it was logical, to prevent any such happening. But I didn't think he would just flat out stop our sessions!

It hurt, like his choice was directly a reflection on me. I knew it wasn't however it didn't stop the feeling.

I was going to ask why, and I stopped myself. I was going to spare myself the embarrassment.

"Alright, Commander. I understand your decision." I wasn't really sure I did.

He turned his head down and looked at me; his eye brows raised ever so slightly in what anybody could tell was his way of showing surprise. Not completely, but somewhat confused by my answer. Unexpected? Maybe.

"Is this going to be an issue, Lieutenant? I understand another science officer would be assigned to your research operations however our speech therapy sessions will discontinue. Is it correct to assume you will need another tutor?"

Okay. That upset me.

More than saying he basically didn't want to be around me. More than making it obvious he didn't return the same feelings I had for him. But the fact that he brought my voice into this was irritating to a point where it disguised itself with a biting and forced tone as I tried to hide it.

"No, I think I will manage just fine without one." My words came out a bit sharp, and he noticed, I could tell by the way his brows lowered down to their normal height but seemed to drop even lower. Like he had just done something he didn't want to say.

It wasn't the first time he had done this, made that face when he wasn't aware he was doing so. I wasn't going to pay attention to it though. He brought on a personal topic, one I had willingly spoken to him about, and now he wants to worry about where I would find another teacher because he was trying to ignore me? I was insulted to say the least.

We had reached my quarters, the rest of our walk consisting of him glancing down at me every few minutes, my exasperated attitude, and my cheeks probably reddened from feelings I felt. It was a relief when we finally reached my quarters.

"Good night, Commander." I said, and I turned to punch in the code. I knew it was rude, to turn my back on a senior in command however I felt justified in doing so. Realizing how childish that sounded, yet again, I turned back around and slowly faced him, his face calm. His stature seemed much taller again, and I shuffled back an inch slowly. I waited for him to say something but he didn't for another few seconds. Just when I was about to ask him why had chosen to talk about this now, he spoke.

"Lieutenant, I trust this will not interfere with your work or daily functions?" He said calmly.

The vexed feelings that were just about to rest were resurfacing yet again.

"Yes, Commander, it will not be an issue and I can't find a good reason why it ever would be."

I regretted the words but yet I was proud of them, as if I inadvertently told him I didn't care if I never saw him. I didn't mean to sound so dignified or sassy; however it was a side effect of my annoyance with him. He quirked an eye brow but I wasn't completely sure he was amused. I swallowed and nodded slightly.

"If that's all, Commander, I should be going to bed." I said quietly, lowering my head slightly as if it was penance for my disrespect. I was acting so childish and yet the feelings still remained; my feelings for him, and the feelings of not working with him anymore or being under his guidance. I was still hurt and angry despite the logical choice he had made, and that was I was acting like a teenager.

Spock nodded his head slowly.

"Good night, Lieutenant." He took off, and I finished the code quickly.

The emotions, from my sister, my voice, to him not wanting to be around me and not reciprocating the feelings I felt; it hurt, in a childish silly way but it still hurt and I was heartbroken, or it felt like it.

I slipped into bed quickly after I had gotten undressed out of my uniform. The bed lacked the qualities of warmth and comfort that it usually held. My sleep was not as deep as I would have liked. It felt like I was swimming in a pool but it was too shallow for swimming. Rest was not achieved that night.

* * *

**So there it is! I really hope you liked it and I AM sorry to anyone who wanted them to start a relationship sooner. I just wanted to depict Spock in character and in order to do that I thought I should show the conflict he has with himself regarding Stella. I have another drafted chapter up but I was not able to write as much as I would have liked to over the vacation. But I did enjoy writing the two chapters.**

**I also would really like some people to PM me some ideas for the story. I also like when people ask me questions, whether or not they are related to the story. I am obsessed with being philosophical for funny stuff so if you want to have discussions on stuff or just questions, I will love to answer them!**

**Review and follow please! Thanks! **


	13. Chapter 13

** I don't have any more chapters laid out, so expect updates to be slower. Reviews or private messages would be super helpful right now, thanks! Enjoy the chapter, even though it's much shorter than usual. **

**I don't own Star Trek.**

* * *

Days passed by with no communication with Spock. Weeks passed, and I could finally feel the hurt vanish, the childish feelings disappearing without a trace, and I could finally go to work and not feel hurt or anticipation that he would drop by. I came to the conclusion several times that I was childish and ridiculous and unprofessional; however I soon had a wake up call that truly pulled me up. I didn't need Spock; I had enough to deal with between work and my sister so he was an unnecessary pain.

An unfortunate side effect of trying to purge him from my thoughts was also the feeling of uneasiness. He had been there when I got my voice back and he had taught me how to use it. Severing our relationship, romantic or not, felt like I would be letting go of my sister, although the connection between both of them was just my voice. I was able to ignore those thoughts more than my emotions towards Spock, which did put me at ease for a little bit.

Despite my edgy mind, I did feel good enough to attend the ship's bar night which Nyota had invited me to. She claimed it was time for me to get out and go to one, and decided to not so discretely mention there was an extremely good looking and intelligent engineering officer that would be just my type. Figuring I couldn't turn down such a tempting offer,(I use that term loosely seeing as I had never met the man) I said yes. After all, it _was_ time for me to get out and experience another one of the occasions, especially because this one was celebrating the Captain's birthday.

The occasion was semi-formal, which meant I could get away with not wearing fancy dress. It's not that I would mind wearing one, but it just so happened to be that I lacked one in my meager closet. I had three sets of the same uniform, one spare lab coat, an unused jacket meant for landing parties on hostile planets, and an outfit that I could hopefully pass of for semi-formal. It was a dark red shirt and a matching black skirt that flowed down to knee length. It was modest enough for me, seeing as it was longer that my uniform dress, but it was slit up inches on the side which would no doubt expose part of my thigh.

I checked my options. Nyota was far too tall and much thinner than I for me to borrow a pair of pants from her. Christine and Gaila were curvier, the exact opposite of my less striking body figure. My next option was to borrow another outfit from Lieutenant Aster, for we had spoken on some occasions and was more similar to my shape. But I knew all these ideas were fruitless. The Lieutenant had never shown her face at any of the ship parties or events, giving me the idea she might have also lacked the appropriate attire. I ran out of ideas.

I settled for the red blouse and black skirt, figuring that the worst that could go wrong was a crude, light hearted joke from a semi-sober Captain. I could also count on the fact that Gaila would be wearing an even more eccentric outfit and eclipse mine, just as I would like. I twisted my hair into a high bun and secured it with a number of pins carefully. I was out the door, the clock on my bed stand notifying me that the party began in a few minutes.

The ship's mess hall had been transformed, from its normal metallic color to a glittering menagerie of purple and blue lights. Light music was playing, setting a nice tone for a quiet party. I knew the mood would soon shift to a more upbeat atmosphere so I enjoyed the peace while it lasted.

Nyota arrived minutes after I had, taking a seat next to me at an empty table. She looked stunning, in every sense of the word. Her hair was long and loose, silky strands of ebony flowing down her tall back. She wore a pair of jeans and a white blouse, exposing her arms and collar bone area. I didn't need Gaila for me to hide behind; Nyota did the job just fine.

Kirk arrived soon after, dressed in a flattering gray shirt and black pants. I was slightly surprised by how handsome he looked- he cleaned up nicely- and I spent a good thirty minutes avoiding him because of that. He had been going around and swirling female crew members off their feet with the devilish charm he seemed to naturally possess. The music was the perfect melody for dancing, so saying the song wasn't appropriate for dancing would not be a good excuse. However he had yet to ask me and I decided not to worry about him stealing me to the dance floor. My worries soon disappeared when Spock arrived. It was replaced with nervousness.

Similar to the Captain, he was wearing black pants and a plain, dark blue shirt. His dark hair was the same, along with the expression he wore. However the outfit shift caused a drastic change; he seemed more striking, even more so without the uniform on. I was happy Nyota was next to me.

"Stella, you alright?" she said, a smile on her face but I knew she was a bit concerned. She didn't want me to end up like her; rejected and heartbroken because he lacked the same feelings he had for her. I had finally experienced what she felt. The only difference is that at one point in time, Spock did love Nyota, and they had been in a relationship. Mine was just nonconsensual affection.

I nodded and turned to look at her.

"I'm fine. Just worried that the Captain with want to dance with us." I smiled sheepishly, not lying completely. Nyota laughed and we spent thirty minutes of the party laughing and talking, the amusement growing as we were joined by Christine and some other crew members. Gossip also ensued; Ensign Mina had plenty to talk about the new transmission officer she was supposed to train. Apparently he was muscular and handsome beyond belief and she had a few suspicions he was going to ask her to dance with him tonight.

Doctor Marcus had also joined us, asking me to call her Carol when I repeatedly called her Doctor. I didn't know her that well however we got along nicely. She was extremely intelligent and confident, similar to Nyota. She was clever as well, with a sharp tongue that she told us got her into heated discussions with the Captain. Both of their cunning personalities clashed against each other, but she added they were mostly good natured. I couldn't imagine the Captain ever holding a grudge and as the night went on, Carol seemed too mature to hold one as well.

"Stella, would you like to grace me with your presence on the dance floor?" I heard Kirk's voice and I turned to face him. Christine and Carol had gone off the get drinks, and Ensign Mina's thoughts were confirmed when a tall, light haired man came by and offered to bring her a drink. That was followed by her going with him to dance and disappearing on the slightly crowded dance floor.

Nyota watched, slightly amused as I smiled somewhat forcefully. I couldn't flat out refuse to dance with him, nor could I make up an excuse, try as I might. It was rude and as I pondered the offer, dancing with the Captain might not be as bad as I made it out to be. I stood up and took his out stretched hand. He smiled.

"For a moment there I thought you might refuse to dance." He led me onto the floor and placed a hand on my lower back and pulled me close. I wasn't uncomfortable, like I thought it would be, however it was only the beginning of the song.

"I would never, I can't imagine how any woman could resist the birthday boy." I said, and he chuckled.

"I am quite irresistible, aren't I?"

The music was nice, a slow, sensual pace that made it easier for me to dance with him. A faster pace would lead to much tripping and clumsiness on my part. I felt his hand drift downwards every few minutes but I didn't say anything about it. He held me close to him, and I felt the warmth of his body against my chest. It felt odd, being in his arms but it felt pleasantly nice as well.

I also noticed that, as we continued to dance, he looked away from me and around the room, as if he were looking for someone else. I ignored it, assuming he was just looking for his next female victim to dance with.

"So how's work going?" He was trying to engage in conversation again.

"It's going well. Nothing new but something is always interesting."

He nodded, his eyes glancing up once again and then flickering back down to my own. His blue gaze was intensely staring at my own.

"Good to hear. How are you doing now that Spock isn't continuing with your sessions?"

He must have felt me tense up, for his hand tightened on my waist firmly. I didn't want to pull away but I didn't want to push myself against him in order to escape his grip. I dealt with it and managed to speak.

"I'm doing fine, Captain, thank you for asking."

"Call me Jim."

I wondered how long the song was going to last.

"Thank you, Jim. I would ask the same for Commander Spock but I have a pretty good idea that he is doing just fine."

His eyes flickered up again, and I felt a bit of annoyance flare up. He looked back down, smiling unnaturally widely. His hand drifted lower again, and my jaw clenched. This was not characteristic for him, however the enigma that he was made me believe it was normal behavior. After a few moments, he leaned down to my ear, his lips almost touching my ear.

"You look beautiful, Stella. The skirt suits you."

I froze and my heart beat sped up. Jim pulled away from me and glanced up again. Seconds passed by and I stared at him. The initial shock was still present from the closeness of his mouth.

"Jim, would you mind telling me what's so important that your eyes need to be on it?"

Jim smirked down at me, leaning in again.

"Not it. Him."

I didn't understand at first. I was confused, and I'm sure it showed on my face quite obviously.

Then I understood. I glared at Jim as we swayed in time with the music.

"Jim, please tell me you're joking, Jim-"

My voice was rising.

"Stella, relax, just dance." He said, amusement in his voice. "He seems tense right now. You should see his face."

I didn't want to see his face, nor did I want him to see me. Embarrassment spread through me quickly, and I desperately wanted Jim to let me go so I could leave this silly party. But he held me snug against him in his arms.

"Jim, is that the only reason you're dancing with me?" I was still confused. He shook his head.

"No, this is a wonderful birthday present. You _do_ look stunning tonight. Honestly." He reassured me and I smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Jim, but I also hope there wasn't an ulterior motive that regarded the Commander, was there?" I asked skeptically. He smirked, his mouth ghosting my ears and my fear rising. I could only pray Jim was pulling a prank on me.

"Of course not." His lips left my face and the warmth of his arm disappeared from my lower waist. The song ended and I was left to my own devices as Jim was taken into the arms of another woman, flashing me a smile before he merged into the crowd. I walked to an empty table and sat, my mind buzzing and my ears still feeling Jim's mouth so near to them.

I couldn't imagine Spock being jealous. I knew he probably wasn't and Jim was just trying an elaborate setup that would ultimately fail due to Spock's infallible emotionless wall.

I hadn't made eye contact with Spock the entire night, and I prayed to keep it that way. I was still confused, from dancing with Jim and the assumption that Spock had been watching, to the fact that Spock had seemed to vanish. I was surprised to feel disappointment. Did I want Spock jealous? Did I want him watching the Captain and I dance?

At this moment in time, I realized how hard it really was for the Commander. Just like I had trouble understanding my own emotions, I could only imagine how much worse it was for him. He didn't want to feel, but yet he did, at least if what Jim said was true. I was unable to comprehend the fact that Spock wasn't human, at least not completely. He couldn't control or convey his emotions the way he wanted to.

I left before the party ended, giving one last birthday wish to the Captain and saying good night to Carol and Nyota. I used the excuse of having a headache and hoping to rid myself of it with rest. They thankfully understood and I made a quick exit, heading for my quarters and my welcoming bed.

Although I never saw them that night, a pair of dark brown eyes was the last thing I saw before I fell asleep

* * *

**Like I said, it was short, almost half of what I usually write. I just won't be able to update as quickly any more. Sorry. I really hoped you enjoyed this part because it was a lot of fun writing it!**

**Please review, follow, you know the rest! Thanks!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hi again! The next chapters will probably only be 2,000-3,000 words, but then I can guarantee the updates will be every week. Thanks so much for reading, and enjoy the chapter! **

* * *

This was the first time in the while I had woken up on a Sunday and dreaded it. A week had passed since the party, and yet every time I woke up, a feeling of anxiousness and exhaustion greeted me with the alarm clock. I assumed the feelings would leave quickly, but they lingered. Probably because I still had not seen Spock. I was both grateful and nervous because of this.

Sulu would be working with me in the lab today. That alone was enough to encourage me to get up from my warm bed and get dressed. We would be studying another plant, this one from the Andorian home planet. When I first discovered I would be working on this project with Sulu, I was happy to say the least. It was a nice distraction and it meant more time with a close friend of mine. It also was a new project, something to busy my hands that seemed too idle lately.

Sulu was waiting in the lab when I got there, and a smile was on his face.

"Good morning Stella." He said. His lab station was already set up, and I saw the plant we were going to research perched in front of his microscope.

"Good morning. Should we get started?" I took the vacant seat next to him and prepped my station. We chatted as I did so, filling the time until I finally finished setting up.

The plant, though not extremely special in any aspect, was very beautiful. It had several blue buds that hadn't yet burst, but others that had already bloomed were a rich sapphire color. The plant itself could go weeks without any water or sunlight. For a normal plant from Earth, this was not common however the climate of Andoria had caused the plants to adapt rapidly. Along with that, the plant stored the water in tiny buds on the underside of the petals, keeping it safe from the sun.

Sulu and I were put in charge of studying the root structure of the plant. Again, nothing special however it was interesting.

"Plant number three hundred eighty two, Andorian Desert Weed, Class nine." Sulu slid the plant closer to me and I looked at the roots through the clear glass container. They were healthy and normal, ready for testing.

"Substance sixteen, liquid boron with potassium minerals." , I read the beaker and then began to pour it in the plant pot. Nothing happened at first, but within the first minute, it began to change. Typing onto a PADD and looking at the plant simultaneously, I watched as the light brown routes began to shrivel up, not dying but seeming to wither away slowly. The roots light brown color turned near white, but the plant remained the same for the next two minutes.

"Plant root has lost all of its minerals aside from the carbon base, but the actual plant has yet to show any changes. It will be kept closed until further testing." Sulu began to type on his own PADD, and I began to record more data on the changes that had occurred.

We worked on multiple Andorian weeds for the following hour, recording its root changes with various different substances and minerals. We went uninterrupted until there was a knock on the door, Sulu and I both glancing at each other before the Captain entered.

Following behind him was Spock, his hands behind his back. I managed an easy smile and stood up.

"Good morning Captain, Commander."

Sulu was next to me, standing up straight as Kirk smiled at us.

"Good morning it is, Lieutenants. I trust your research is going well?"

I was already questioning why he and Spock were here. I knew Spock would show up eventually to survey our work but not until much later in the project when we had discovered more things about the plant. But Captain Kirk took me off guard completely. I had never seen him in the lab, let alone this specific area of the deck.

"Yes, sir, we have already begun testing the plant with different substances for any unknown occurrences that may affect the ecosystem in Andoria's desert.", Sulu said, and I nodded, handing over my PADD to show him what we had learned. Spock had said nothing so far, and I didn't dare look at him. Awkward eye contact was not on my to do list.

Jim took the device from my hands and scrolled through it, browsing through the data and nodding slightly ever so often. Finally, he handed it back to me.

"Great job, keep it up. I should put you two together more often!" Jim laughed and I looked at Sulu. He was smiling, and I smiled back. However there was another uneasy feeling emerging. Was Jim still at it, trying to make Spock jealous again? I swallowed and scrolled through my PADD idly, trying to act a little bit preoccupied as Sulu began to talk with the Captain.

"So, Sulu, how long have you known Stella?" I glanced up briefly before looking down at the PADD. Spock had walked towards our lab stations and was examining the plant it seemed.

"Since she was assigned to the Enterprise, sir. I was assigned to mentor her for her first month aboard. She taught me how to use sign language."

"Ah. And you two have been close, seeing as you work very well together."

I was getting increasingly mortified as they continued to talk. I was scrolling aimlessly though facts about different plant species when the Captain said my name.

"Stella, what do you think?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Do you think you and Sulu make a good duo for research projects? If so, I can assign you together for them more often."

I paused before answering. Spock was still by the plant, but I had the slightest feeling he was listening. It felt like I was treading on thin ice, even though I knew I shouldn't care about falling through. He didn't care about my relationships with others, why should I?

"Yes, Captain, I do think we make a good pair. We're so close, sometimes it feels like we can read each other's minds."

Sulu chuckled and nodded, Jim smiling and his blue eyes crinkling in the corner.

There it was again.

The eyes, flicking up for the slightest second over my shoulder, clearly searching for something in the background of his perspective.

Jim looked me in the eyes again and smirked slightly, walking towards Sulu and I.

"Well then, I'll just have to put you guys together more often. Keep working hard." Jim was still smiling, and Spock was by his side again.

I mustered up enough courage to look at him.

"Good day Captain, Commander."

Spock's eyes, brown and empty now, were looking at me. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly but his face was placid as usual. But his lips, they were parted a centimeter as if he had something to say but he didn't. His posture was normal as well, besides his shoulders which had risen slightly and seemed tightly wound like a tightened coil.

"Carry on." Jim left with a smile still on his face as Spock followed him out the door swiftly. I was left uneasy but relieved things were not as worse as I first made it out to be. I had overreacted again. Sulu looked at me.

"Was it just me, or did the Captain seem a bit too…happy?"

I sighed and went back to my station.

"I think he's always like that." I force a convincing smile with ease. Sulu didn't say anything more, oblivious to the fact he was the Captain's bait in a ploy to stir jealousy up in Spock's mind.

* * *

"Captain, we're being hailed from Beta Quadrant four, three minutes away by warp."

Kirk looked over to Uhura and nodded.

"On screen."

Moments later a face appeared on the screen, freezing the blood of both the Captain and the Commander. The face was smiling, not sinister or evil, but kindly. Kirk wouldn't fall for it.

"Hello, Captain Kirk. Nice to see you again."

Jim clenched his fist and his jaw tightened. Parmen frowned slightly.

"Are you alright, Captain? I hoped you would be happy to see me after all this time."

Jim didn't say anything for a moment before speaking. He could sense Spock was looking on with a sense of alarm.

"Star Fleet has been assigned to peacefully make negotiations with your society. Is there something you need specifically from the Enterprise?"

Spock was now beside him, on guard and ready to stop his Captain from saying anything he would regret. Neither of them were fond of Parmen, even with the successful negotiations, and neither of them were ready to forgive.

"Ah, yes, what did I need. Well, we wanted to invite you and your crew members onto our ship, for a celebration. You see, now that we are in peace with your society, we have no need to protect ourselves from you. The treaty calls a need for a feast and ball!"

Kirk was astounded and angry. _Protecting _themselves? Is that what they called throwing them around with telekinetic powers and making them fight each other?

Spock's mouth was set in a firm line, irritation flooding him as Parmen spoke. He had hurt them, he had made them hurt each other. They had made him hurt Stella.

Jim forced himself to think rationally. He was aware of the peace treaty that had been signed, and encouraged by several Star Fleet officials. After all, a new planet in a separate quadrant had its benefits and almost no negatives. There were practically no risks to accepting the offer to a party, a party that was celebrating the new found relationship between two planets. However, it was hard to forgive and forget, to just ignore what they had done to the landing party without any valid reason. Jim calmed himself, and glanced at Spock briefly. His first Commander was looking at him, his face unchanged but his head tilted downward. Jim looked at the screen.

"Parmen, our senior staff would be honored to attend."

"Why not everyone in your crew? We certainly have enough space for everyone."

"Well, we need some people to make sure the ship doesn't crash while I'm gone." The laughter in Jim's voice was forced but Parmen just smiled.

"Understood. We welcome your senior staff to Platonia in two days' time. We will supply the appropriate attire for your group, and look forward to your arrival."

The monitor changed from Parmen's grinning face to the dark space in front of them. Kirk's smile fell.

"Mister Spock, please tell Doctor McCoy, Nurse Chapel, and Stella that we will be landing on Platonia in two days. I'll tell Doctor Marcus and Commander Levy."

Spock's eye brows lowered obviously.

"Captain, if I may ask, why do you require Lieutenant Anderson's presence in the landing party?"

Kirk looked up at his friend, a slight smirk on his face but good natured nonetheless, and sighed.

"I believe she deserves an apology. Plus, she's a very good dancer and I may need her as a partner during the ball."

Spock looked on, confused. How was he supposed to react to that? He had no doubt noticed the Captain's attempts to get closer to Stella and make him feel envy in the process. It had failed, as Spock liked to believe. But he wasn't sure if he could fool himself as far as his buried emotions went. Confusing as it was, Spock knew the line was still drawn, the line between professional and inappropriate was unbreakable. A boundary he shouldn't and wouldn't cross, and he was going to make sure of it.

"I see." Those were the only words that Spock uttered before sitting back down at his station, sending out the message to Doctor McCoy and Nurse Chapel. He decided to message Stella later, when his thoughts were calmer and it wouldn't make his jaw wind up when he typed her name out.

* * *

I read the message, my uncertainty growing with each letter. It took a good two minutes to believe what I was reading.

A party. With the people who had tried to kill us.

I wanted to see it as a joke however I don't think Spock would be the one to joke about something like this. Or joke about something in general.

I didn't want to go. Period.

However, Spock had stated clearly in the message that the Captain had requested my attendance at the occasion, and he would be deeply upset if I refused to go. I wasn't sure if it was worth it though.

I sat on the edge of my bed, pondering the idea of going. If I did decide to go, I would have nothing to wear, seeing as it said it was a ball. I didn't know the fine line between a party and a ball, nor did I know the dress code.

I had learned about these events, in my ancient history class. The only think I could recall was what attire was worn in ancient England, when monarchies were still in place. The pictures I had seen were porcelain, doll like women with fluffy hoop gowns with beads and pearly embroidering the hem with lace. It was almost comical to imagine myself, Carol, or Christine wearing something like that. It was also somewhat frightening.

My worries of wearing a dress like that were quashed when I read further into the message. An appropriate outfit would be supplied, because the dress code was most likely not fitting to our closets.

My next thought was why I had to go. Yes, the Captain had requested my presence, but why? Did he want them to apologize to me? To notice I had gotten my voice back without their help? The other people that were going were all senior staff, and while I wasn't a low ranked Cadet, I didn't hold the rank of a Commander or Captain. I was at most an assistant to a Commander, and only during my Alpha shift. It didn't make sense to me. I closed the message and begun to get ready for bed.

A ball. The term itself seemed daunting enough, but facing the people that had done what they had did…I didn't want to do that. Not yet, not ever. The peace treaty that had been written up and signed didn't mean much to me at the moment, and I wasn't sure even an apology would suffice for it.

But moving on from that meant becoming a stronger person, I wanted to believe that. I would just have to go with it.

* * *

**Ooh, so Parmen is back, and so are the telekinetic powers! I had some fun writing this chapter, and I want to thank _ShyxSkater _for the story idea revolving around Spock feeling jealous about the friendship between Stella and Sulu. Thanks for reading and as always, review, favorite, and message me any ideas you might have! I would totally love to use them!**

**Have a great week!**


	15. Chapter 15

**VERY SORRY I WAS NOT ABLE TO UPDATE LAST WEEK. I have two reasons. I was going to update Saturday, because I knew I wasn't going to be able to on Sunday. But, as a late birthday present, I was given a new laptop (yay!) that I needed to do a bunch of updates and file loads on, which took FOREVER. I also lost the first draft of this chapter in the process, which SUCKED. I had to rewrite it, but it turned out a bit better the second time around, so that's the only positive. I wasn't able to update Sunday because it was the anniversary of my father's passing, and I was at Church most of the day with my family. Please enjoy this chapter, however belated and small, and comment what you think! Thanks!**

* * *

Christine and Carol were both next to me as we stood on the transporter pad. I fought the urge to fidget nervously, and was able to quell it down to a quiet tremor. I was antsy about this. I didn't think anything was going to go wrong, but when I reminded myself of the peace treaty, it also reminded me of the people who had attacked us with no good reason. I was on edge however I knew I was reacting too severely; I seemed to be the only one ticking.

Spock was stoic as usual, and Doctor McCoy and Commander Levy were talking quietly. Commander Levy was not someone I spoke with often; he seemed introverted and quiet but not at all shy. Kind of like a wall flower but with enough intelligence to make him seem almost ignorant when he spoke. But I knew he was sweet, underneath the closed off exterior.

Jim seemed to be on edge as well if one could pick up on it. His shoulders seemed a bit higher than usual and he wasn't joking around with anyone. It was almost noon, and by now I knew he would be alive with energy and cheer. It was absent at the current moment, and it didn't take a mind reader to figure out why.

"Seven to beam down, prepare transporters."

In moments I was surrounded by gold light that soon disappeared. The silvery blue Enterprise was replaced by several trees and plants, all of which I was familiar with. I took a deep breath, trying to calm by increasing heart rate by looking at the colored fauna. His voice filled my ears much sooner than I would have liked.

"Welcome, guests, back to our humble and welcoming home!" He was dressed almost identically to the way he was when I first saw him. A white garb, golden sandals, an olive leaf crown with emerald colored veins. Just seeing him made my blood boil and my heart race, in both fear and anger. He was alone as he came out of the forest into the opening, his arms raised in an embrace-like form.

Jim stepped forward, smiling. I could tell he was feeling the emotions I was feeling, anger, distrust, but probably less fear.

"It's wonderful to be here, especially now that we are on good terms with your planet's people! We do thank you for inviting us here for the celebration."

Parmen responded by embracing the Captain tightly, and I could see him stiffen at the hug. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Spock, his hand reflexively heading to his hip for his phaser. I saw him then retract his hand as Parmen let go and smiled that oh so deadly smile.

Carol put a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Her soft accent was strangely comforting as I looked up at her and smiled. My tightened hands, which had I had clenched inadvertently, loosened up and I took a deep breath.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you."

She smiled back. She didn't know how much Jim, Spock, McCoy and I had gone through. She knew what had happened; she was given the full report to send back to Star Fleet. But she didn't understand what they had done to us, what he had done to us. The memories were about the come back all at once but I Parmen's voice interrupted the onslaught of them.

"Ah, Stella, I see you are well. I have been informed of your voice discovery. I do hope all is well with you now that you may speak, yes?" He was walking towards me. He was talking to me. He was smiling at me. My nerves were vibrating.

"Yes.", I said firmly, as if trying to prove to him I got my voice back without his help. He didn't seem affected. "I am very well, thank you." I was glad I didn't sound sarcastic in my last remark, even though I so desperately wanted to make some sort of biting comment. I knew this was not the time for immature revenge and that I had to be an adult. I was a _Lieutenant_, for God's sake, I was mature and smart and capable. I could handle this without acting like a brat.

Parmen grinned, his salt and peppered hair shining in the sunlight. It was a beautiful day here. Sunny, warm, and not a cloud in sight.

"Well, there is much to prepare for!" Parmen gestured around somewhat frantically. "Demetria, Aristo, come, come!"

I looked over at the path in which Parmen had emerged, only to find two different, unfamiliar faces appear. A man and a woman, both incredibly attractive and straight faced, walked towards us. They wore dark brown garbs, olive leaf crowns, and sandals. I was not surpised by their sense of style.

The female, who I assumed was Demetria, was definitely striking in her appearance. Not one feature she wore was plain; her hair was ruby red and shined like a topaz stone. Her eyes were the color of grass in the morning, and her skin was a clean white. Her nose was perfectly straight and her lips were in a firm red line. I had a feeling she was much prettier when she smiled, but at the moment, emotion was not traced on her face.

The other man, Aristo, was smiling a dazzling grin, probably close to over shadowing Jim's perfect crescent smile. His hair was bleach blonde and his eyes sparkled. His tall frame was muscular and lean, and not much was hidden with the brown toga he wore.

Parmen grinned.

"Demetria, please lead these women to the Grand Hall, and give them their robes. Aristo, take the men to the Quarters to prepare. Make our guests feel welcomed, as if this were their own home!"

"Yes, my lord." Demetria and Aristo said it in unison, before Demetria walked towards Christine.

"Follow me, we will walk to the Grand Hall where you will receive your attire." No smiled was on her face, just an empty look. Her hospitality was overwhelming.

We were led down a large, shiny marble like hallway, separate from Jim, Spock, and Doctor McCoy. It seemed freshly scrubbed and waxed with polish, and had a brand new appearance. My feet sounded like pebbles skittering across the floor as Demetria led us down the corridor. Her long red hair swooshed behind her, and it was hard for me not to stare at it. Christine must have been thinking the same thing because I could see her from my peripheral vision gazing at the ruby locks.

"The correct attire will be supplied for you in this room. If the size or color is not to your liking, please inform me. You may place your current outfit on the chair in the back or on a hanger."

Her voice was flat, and she didn't even look at us when she opened the large wooden door to our right. Her outward personality was no doubt unfriendly, but she wasn't rude in anyway, making it hard for me to feel offended. I was just curious; Why was Aristo so friendly while she was so...not? She seemed so uncaring, aloof and straight forward while he seemed much more amicable and hospitable?

Carol entered the room first, followed by Christine and I. Demetria then shut the door with a loud thump and left us in the dull-lit room. I saw three chairs, each with a small rack next to it and a piece of cloth hanging off of them.

"Well, what a warm welcome.", I heard Carol mumble under her breath. She walked over to the chair closest to her and began to inspect the cloth as I watched her. Her eyes scanned it for a few moments followed by her picking it up and feeling it.

"Soft.", was all she said. A smile poked at my lips. I could tell she liked it.

I walked over to the chair near me and Christine did the same. It appeared all of the dresses were the same color; a creamy off-white with a gold hem line. It seemed the ball I imagined earlier would not be similar to the one I was attending tonight. There would be no pearls woven into my hair or powder making my skin perfect like it said so in my history files of ancient England. It was just a garb of white silk with a pair of metallic gold sandals to match. Great. That meant my under-average height would be accentuated further more with flat shoes.

I realized I was complaining again. They had been generous enough to supply me, no, all of us, with an outfit and here I was, complaining about how I would look short. I turned away from my two companions and faced the wall. I then began to get dressed.

When I had finished changing, and Christine and Carol had too, I inspected what I had on more closely. The fabric _was_ very soft, and it felt lovely across my stomach and legs, like a waterfall of satin. It didn't have straps, except for a loose sleeve that reached my right elbow. It was a little tight in my back, slightly uncomfortable, but I ignored it, for the rest of the dress was fine.

Carol and Christine were both doing the same and glancing at their outfit.

"It's not too bad, is it? I wish it was longer.", I heard Christine say. I nodded in agreement, noticing how the hemline fell no further than my knees. Carol walked over to me, and place a hand on the back of my dress. I didn't have time to ask what she was doing before she answered my unspoken question.

"It's all bunched up here in the back, Stella.", she giggled and I covered my face sheepishly.

"What would I do without you?" I said, sighing as she took her hand from my back. I truly did ponder the question; what would I do without the people that helped me so much before. Uhura, Christine, Carol, and as much as it made my heart ache to say it, Spock had helped me with the several hurdles I had faced in the past months and years. But maybe Spock had helped me too much, and that was why he had also hurt me the way he had. I stopped myself again; it was not the time for this.

I was still nervous anyway. I was about to face an entire room of people, maybe even dance with them, that had been responsible for injuries that should have never been given. Some of them may have even been the same people that laughed and jeered at us like we were animals in a show. I was scared and angry at the same time, to a point where I didn't care what I felt anymore. I just knew that I didn't want to do what had to be done.

The three of us exited the room, greeted by an emotionless Demetria. She turned on her heel and began to walk down the left hallway.

"Follow me for the main dance hall."

We did as we were told and followed her. As we continued to walk down the winding corridors, I began to wonder if we were lost, or if our destination was on the other side of the planet. Minutes passed before we entered an astoundingly large room.

The center was cleared out for a large space on a waxy floor. It was obviously the space people would be dancing on, and already I saw some pairs waltzing around in a relaxed fashion. The walls were pearly marble that had a bronze shimmer to it. There were tables on the outer edges of the room, people seated at them and talking and laughing. Not a care it seemed, for us who had only months ago, been a toy in their game. I took a deep breath and focused on the room. The large, spacious room that glittered.

I felt something being placed on my head. I blinked and looked at Demetria, who had her hands by my forehead and was arranging leaves in my hair.

An olive leaf crown.

She stepped back and her hands finished their task of correctly weaving the vine into my hair, which I had taken down for the event. I reached up and touched it lightly, trying to avoid tangling it, and swallowed. It only reminded me of the first time we had been "welcomed guests" here.

* * *

**Okay, there it is, and I hoped you enjoyed it. The next 1-3 chapters will definitely be filled with cute romantic scenes(a lot of development, people!) ****between Spock and Stella, action (tell me guys, do _you _trust Parmen? Maybe he's good now, you'll see!), and maybe some foreshadowing of what will happen after they get back to the Enterprise. I will update hopefully by next week. Have a great week, and as always, review, follow, favorite, and message me ideas! Thanks!**


End file.
